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ARTICLE · 30 AUGUST 2016

Paternity Leave In Ireland

Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace
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Dillon Eustace

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The leave may be postponed where the date of confinement or placement is later than originally notified.

IrelandEmployment and HR
John Doyle
John Doyle
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Introduction

While some employers have granted paternity leave as a matter of policy, 2016 saw the enactment of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 which introduces statutory paternity leave in Ireland for the first time. Paternity leave is unpaid but the employee may qualify for paternity benefit from the State, depending on their social welfare status. It is open to an employer to offer employees paternity leave on a more favourable basis than the statutory entitlements but any provision which seeks to have the employee contract out of their entitlements or agree to reduced entitlements, is void. The following note explains some of the principal provisions of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016. In the event of a specific query the Act should be considered in detail and legal advice should be obtained.

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