The Minister for Justice have given effect to the EU Council Directive implementing amendments to Parental Leave.
These changes took effect on Friday 8th March 2013.
Details of the Act have yet to be published but this will happen shortly.
The new revisions will amend the current Act in the following ways:
- An increase of unpaid leave from 14 weeks to 18 weeks
- Parents will have a right to request alternative working patterns when they return back from a period of parental leave. While employers must consider this there is no obligation to grant it.
- Both parents have an equal, separate entitlement to parental leave. However, the Directive provides that this leave can now be transferred between parents.