New rights
The maximum age of the eligible child will be raised from five to eight years.
The maximum age of the eligible child will be increased to 16 years in the case of children with disabilities.
Parental leave entitlements will be extended to people acting in loco parentis or as a guardian in respect of an eligible child.
Parents will have a statutory entitlement to take the 14 weeks parental leave in separate blocks of a minimum of six continuous weeks. Or they may work out more favourable terms with the agreement of the employer.
An employee who falls ill while on parental leave may suspend the parental leave during the illness.
Provision has been made for statutory codes of practice on parental leave and force majeure leave, and the manner in which an employer can terminate parental leave.
Source: Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform