Reform could double parental leave

Mothers could be allowed to double the amount of leave they take after having a baby and receive extra weeks off if they agree to split the time at home with their partner.

The Irish Examiner understands the Government is considering the move as part of wider Coalition plans to address affordability and space issues in the early childcare sector, and ensure the responsibility of a new-born child is more evenly shared between parents.

Currently, a mother receives 26 weeks’ paid maternity leave, while a father is not legally entitled to any leave, and only gets it at the discretion of an employer.

This disparity ensures a disproportionate amount of the responsibility for looking after a new-born child is often placed on the mother, and reduces the chances of her returning to work after a set period of time.

In cases where a mother does go back to work, it also increases the likelihood of a child being placed in a creche from an early age.

The latter situation, however, is contributing to the high cost and lack of spaces in the sector, with international research stating it is not in the best interests of the development of a child under the age of one.

However, under plans being considered by an inter-departmental group led by Children’s Minister James Reilly’s department, mothers could soon be allowed to double the amount of time they take off to one year in an effort to free up creche space, lower creche costs, and give young children under the age of one a better opportunity to develop.

In addition, if the mother and father agree to split the year’s leave between each other, they may also receive extra weeks off, as it is believed this will encourage women to more easily return to the workforce.

The potential policy change is still in its early stages, with a Government source stressing it is “on the table” alongside a wide range of other options currently being examined by the inter-departmental group, none of which have been signed off on.

They include plans relating to the potential opening of schools for two extra hours in the evening to act as low-cost evening childcare — an issue fraught with difficulty as it would involve talks with unions and school patrons — and raising the capitation fee creches receive for employing more highly qualified staff.

The inter-departmental group examining the possible moves is due to give its final report to Government by early summer, after a public consultation phase later this month.

“If you look at some of the systems in Europe, they do a thing whereby there’s a period of parental leave during which the parents are told you guys decide how you want to split it up,” said a Government official familiar with the childcare reform options.

“If you split it we’ll give you a couple of extra weeks to encourage sharing between parents.”

Britain introduced similar reforms at the weekend.

Having met the inter-departmental group last week, Early Childhood Ireland chief executive Teresa Heeney said maternity leave should be increased from six months to a year, as this would reduce the need for children under one to be placed in childcare services.

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