Extend paternity leave for parents of twins and multiples – Murphy

Extending the duration of statutory paternity leave for parents of twins, triplets and higher multiple births would be a huge benefit to families, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Michael Murphy said that currently, fathers and other relevant parents are entitled to just two weeks of statutory paternity leave, regardless of whether a family welcomes one baby or several at the same time.

Deputy Murphy said: “The arrival of a new baby is always a time of huge joy but also a period of challenge and adjustment. For parents of twins, triplets and other multiples, those challenges are multiplied from day one.

“We already recognise this reality in our social protection system, where Child Benefit payments are increased in the case of twins and triplets. It is only fair and logical that we do the same when it comes to paternity leave.

“Many of our European counterparts have gone beyond the EU’s two weeks minimum paternity leave, with Spain introducing 16 weeks leave. Likewise, Denmark provides an additional 13 weeks paid leave to parents of twins, triplets and quadruplet within 18 months of the births.

“We want to see the extension of leave to build on the work of former Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys, who extended Parents’ Leave from two weeks to nine weeks, and extended Parent’s Benefit worth €234 a week from seven weeks to nine weeks.

“The Programme for Government also commits to expanding the provision for newborns and their parents of a Baby Bundle, comprising essential items to support them from day one. If we want parents to have all the support they need, we must ensure that these bundles are combined with adequate leave time.

“Two weeks of leave may be adequate for a single birth, but when two or more babies arrive at once, the level of care, feeding, and support required is far greater. Extending paternity leave for multiple births would be a practical step to ease pressure on families, support child development, and promote greater gender equality in caring responsibilities,” concluded Deputy Murphy.