Mr O’Gorman pushed for the ‘baby boost’ payment in the recent budget, which sees new parents receive triple child benefit payment when their baby is born.
Now the Green Party leader wants parents between them to be able to take the first year of their baby’s life off.
“What I would like to see is that between two parents, there’s the capacity for at least 52 weeks after the birth of the child, that one or other parent has paid leave to enable them to support best engagement with their child, so they can balance that their working commitments and their home life commitments,” Minister O’Gorman said.
The minister said that the first year of a child’s life is crucial for development and that the government should support that by offering parents leave but also improving the rates that parents receive during that time.
“We know that parental leave is great. It’s really flexible, but it’s unpaid. So, I think we can have at least that first 52 weeks covered by paid leave,” the minister said.
The 52 weeks would include an increase to maternity leave and examining an increase to parents leave too, the minister said.
He added that it was also important to look at the rates so that they were attractive to parents, instead of choosing to go back to work.
“They feel financially that they have to keep working. So I think it’s about the length of time, but also the rate which is paid
“I am conscious that for one parent families, that the amount of leave that one parent families get is different, and that’s certainly something I’d like to see addressed in the next government as well.”
The minister was speaking after the Maternity Protection Bill passed all stages in the Dáil yesterday.
The bill will mean mothers who suffer a serious illness during their maternity leave will now be able to postpone that leave, something the minister said will “have a big impact for many women”.
“I know that legislation can be fractious, often in the Dáil, particularly as we get closer to an election, but I’m really grateful for the strong support that I’ve received across the house for this particular bill,” the minister said.
