Unions yesterday welcomed plans for more flexible parental leave but called for measures to make it a more affordable option for parents.
SIPTU's equality secretary, Ms Rosheen Callender, said: "These are welcome measures and at long last these measures make parental leave a bit more accessible. But they don't address the main issue of paid leave."
While parental leave in Ireland is unpaid, many EU countries provide paid leave for parents, she said.
"We have been calling for a parental leave welfare benefit, but the Government or employers haven't expressed support for the idea. Until that happens, there will continue to be a low take-up of parental leave, especially among fathers," she said.
Yesterday's changes to parental leave follow recommendations drawn up by a working group which included representatives from IBEC, the National Women's Council of Ireland, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and various Government Departments.
Ms Callender said she was disappointed that the extension of emergency, or force majeure, leave had not been extended to same-sex couples.
There was a commitment made during talks on the Sustaining Progress pay deal that this issue would be examined by the Government.
"That was a definite commitment in Sustaining Progress. It means that if your partner is run down by a bus, that fact that your partner is the same sex means you are not entitled to take paid leave off work."
An IBEC representative was unavailable for comment yesterday, while the Women's Council was unable to provide a spokeswoman.
