Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will examine the anomaly that exists within parent's leave and benefit for one-parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38973/24]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I want to ask the Minister about the anomaly that exists in the nine-week payment for parent's leave and benefit for one-parent families and the fact that if someone has a baby and is part of a two-parent family there will be two nine-weeks of paid parent's leave whereas if it is a one-parent family there be just nine weeks. That is an anomaly that should be corrected.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves and working family payments in recent years. The Government committed in the programme for Government to supporting parents, including by extending paid leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during the first year.

Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, working parents are entitled to nine weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child, as required by the work-life balance directive. It was two weeks per parent per child when I became Minister, and it is now nine weeks.

It is important to note that the entitlement under the 2019 Act is for each parent in his or her own right so it is not allocated per family. The Act was drafted to take account of the broad complexion of family life, including one-parent families, and allows for an entitlement for the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the parent. Parents do not have to cohabit to be eligible for the entitlement. However, the leave is not transferable to ensure that fathers as well as mothers are supported in their caring roles and to support women's equal labour market participation. That principle of non-transferability that was built into the work-life balance directive is required because of the importance of ensuring that the provision of family leave does not serve to disadvantage mothers participating in the workforce.

The Government is also very aware of the additional challenges faced by one-parent families and their greater risk of poverty. To the extent that the matter falls within my Department, I have always committed to working with colleagues to support one-parent families through the development of enhanced, targeted supports. For example, the national childcare scheme includes an income-related subsidy, alongside the universal subsidy, which aims to make childcare more affordable for low-income families, including lone-parent families. An independent review of NCS in 2021 indicated that single parents received greatest benefit from the scheme as they received the highest subsidies.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome that parent's leave has increased from two to nine weeks and it is a great support for parents, particularly when maternity leave is only 26 weeks and paternity leave at the moment is only two weeks. Despite all of that, regarding the one-parent family, if a baby is born into a one-parent family and the other parent is deceased, for example, there will be nine additional weeks; but for a baby born into a two-parent family there will be 18 weeks. That is not fair and we should have equality on this. It would be for a very small number of babies but regardless of the parent-family make-up, whether one- or two-parent, the entitlement for the baby should be the same. At this point, one-parent families are losing out on nine weeks. The partner may have passed away. It is important to have the equal entitlement whether it is a one- or two-parent family. I know this came from Europe, more or less, but could it be looked at?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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This type of leave has always been seen as leave pertaining to the parent rather than to the child, as the Deputy described it. That is not to say additional types of leave could not be introduced looking specifically at the needs of one-parent families. This leave is designed to recognise a situation where there is a one-parent family as the result of maybe a relationship breakdown, and it is to ensure the parent who is not cohabiting or maybe does not have custody of the child is still entitled to use leave to be able to build a relationship with the child. That is important. Where the parent with custody has a new partner, that partner may also avail of this leave. It is flexible in those ways in trying to maintain existing parental relationships and allow for new ones. I take the Deputy's point that in a situation where a parent is deceased, that is a smaller category.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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Perhaps that might be something the Minister may examine because it would be a very small number of parents. With regard to parent's leave and benefit, the child should get the same level of time with their parent, whether it is one parent or two. That is an anomaly that would be worth looking at.

It would be a small number of people but it is important.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It would probably be addressed through something bespoke for that group of parents rather than through a change to parent's leave. The process for parent's leave is a good one and works well. I would like to see it grow. As we know, the rate of parent's leave has grown by €15. I hope to see the take-up increase in the years to come. I believe that one of the reasons take-up is low, particularly among dads, is that the rate is seen as too low. The €15 increase is quite significant. It would probably be best to look at a bespoke solution for those one-parent families.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is deireadh le ceisteanna chun an Aire Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige é sin. We will now proceed to take Leaders' Questions under Standing Order 36.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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On a point of order, are we getting any input into the Order of Business this week? I ask for time to be urgently set aside for Deputy McDonald to make a statement on the issue of child abuse committed by a member of Sinn Féin-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is ridiculous.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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-----and the furnishing of character references for that person by members of Deputy McDonald's team.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is not a point of order.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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It is crucial that these questions are answered in a timely fashion.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Order of Business for this week was arranged last week. The Deputy's point is not in order at this stage.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Can I ask that, when the Order of Business for next week is being discussed, we-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy can discuss anything he likes when the Order of Business is being discussed.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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This is something the party opposite regularly brings to the attention of Government. It is time-sensitive and important-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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This is not a point of order.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It is not a point of order.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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If we want to bring in character references-----

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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-----and it should be addressed this week. Deputy McDonald has a track record of ignoring this House and not making statements when they are required. She has done it before. She should take the opportunity to make a statement on this because it affects the behaviour of her party.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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This is not a point of order. The Deputy should not be allowed to continue.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Are backbenchers the leaders?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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They have been elected, the same as us.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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You want to silence them.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Brophy's point is not relevant at this stage. The business for the week is scheduled.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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He might get promoted to Minister of State again now. This is outrageous.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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As I said, we will move to questions under Standing Order 36.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Could Deputy McDonald answer? She has the right to make a statement. She could do so.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The election is on.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Leaders' Questions are not a matter to be answered by the Leader of the Opposition.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Hear, hear.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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They may be after the next election though.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I would not laugh about this topic.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Members should be careful what they wish for.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I would not think the Deputy would find it funny. It is not a funny issue.