Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Shutterstock
# budget 2019
Parents to get an extra two weeks' paid parental leave from next year
The measure will be introduced from November 2019.
FINANCE MINISTER PASCHAL Donohoe has announced that parents are to receive two extra weeks’ paid leave to every parent of a child in their first year.
The new paid leave scheme was announced in this afternoon’s Budget and will take effect from November 2019.
Donohoe said that it is the government’s intention to “increase this to seven extra weeks over time”.
This new paid leave scheme is on top the maternity and paternity leave options already in place.
Parents are also set to benefit from increases to Child Benefit payments as part of an across-the-board increase of €5 on all weekly Social Protection payments.
Donohoe has also said that the government wants to Affordable Childcare Scheme available to more parents by increased the thresholds below which parents can avail of them.
The base income threshold is being raised from €22,700 to €26,000 and the maximum income threshold is increasing from €47,500 to €60,000.
