Parent's Leave and Parent's Benefit extended from 1st August 2024
Starting today, 1st August 2024, Parent’s Leave and Parent's Benefit are extended from seven weeks to nine weeks. These changes were announced in Budget 2024.
Parents can now take nine weeks of leave if their child is under two years old, or if they adopted the child less than two years ago.
It is available to both employees and self-employed people. Parent’s Benefit is dependent on enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
Employers are not required to pay employees on Parent’s Leave, but some might choose to top-up the Parent’s Benefit payments.
This leave is different from Parental Leave, which allows parents to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for their children, effective since 1 September 2020.
How much?
If you qualify for Parent’s Benefit, you will get €274 each week.
This is paid by the Department of Social Protection (DSP).
Your employer does not have to pay you while you are on parent’s leave.
How to apply?
Give your notice in writing to your employer
Tell your employer at least 6 weeks before the leave is due to start
Include the start date, the way the leave will be taken and how long the leave will last
Include appropriate certification confirming your eligibility such as a birth certificate, or in the case of adoption, the certificate of placement.
Some Rules
You must meet certain criteria to be eligible to take parent’s leave. You must:
Be a relevant parent
Take the leave within 104 weeks (2 years) of the birth of the child or in the case of adoption, from the date the child is placed with you (the placement date)
Give at least 6 weeks’ notice to your employer
Other points to note
You are treated as being in employment while you are on parent’s leave (and all other types of statutory leave for parents). You are entitled to return to your job after parent’s leave.
Annual leave – you can build up annual leave while you are on parent’s leave.
Public holidays – you are entitled to any public holidays that occur during your parent’s leave.
PRSI contributions – you can get credited PRSI contributions while you are on parent’s leave.
How can I take parent’s leave?
One continuous period of 7 weeks leave or
Separate periods of not less than one week
NB
Employers can only refuse parent’s leave if you are not entitled to it. An employer can postpone your parent’s leave once for up to 12 weeks.
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