Self-employed fathers now eligible for new parental leave benefits

MINISTER Leo Varadkar is extending parental leave to 256,000 self-employed fathers for the first time, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Cabinet is shortly expected to sign off on a new package of measures, which includes two weeks of paternity leave. The Social Protection minister reveals today in the IMoS that there will be additional measures from this September which will see the 256,000 self-employed men working in Ireland also availing of two weeks’ paternity leave. For the first time, the State will pay them two weeks holiday benefit if they take time off work at the birth of a new baby. They can take it up until the time their baby reaches six months. Selfemployed women already receive maternity benefit, but there has been no such provision for fathers. Self-employed workers pay 4% PRSI to the State and this payment will be some return on this.

Mr Varadkar said last night: ‘It’s great to be able to do something for dads by providing paternity benefit to all PRSI payees. Parenting is changing and fathers are more and more involved in raising their children.

‘I am also delighted to be in a position to extend paid paternity leave to self-employed fathers for the first time. Eighty per cent of the selfemployed are male and have often been overlooked. This is the first of a suite of benefits I plan to extend to the selfemployed, both women and

‘It’s great to do something for dads’

men, during my term of office as Minister for Social Protection,’ he said.

The Cabinet is expected to sign off on legislation for two weeks of paternity leave, which is being overseen by Frances Fitzgerald, and paternity benefit, which is being overseen by Leo Varadkar.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny also revealed that another two weeks of shared parental leave will be introduced next year, which would see four weeks of leave for new parents in 2017.

From September, the Department of Social Protection will provide paid paternity benefit of €230 per week for the two weeks of paternity leave. This will be available to all fathers who pay PRSI, whether they are employees or selfemployed. Employers will also have the option of providing a further top-up to the father’s regular salary if they so choose.

Self-employed men have always been able to take leave after the birth of their baby as they are their own bosses, but most do not, due to loss of income and loss of business. So this means that, for the first time, they will have the option of taking paid time off following the birth of their child. It also applies to adoptions.

There are around 325,000 self-employed people in Ireland. Four out of five of these are men, numbering about 256,000. They are a diverse group including tradesmen like plumbers, small business owners such as shopkeepers or barbers, and professionals such as accountants, auctioneers and GPs.

All these measures will have to be passed by the Oireachtas, but since they appear to be so universally popular there does not seem to be a political impediment.

Last week Leo Varadkar also outlined his plans to provide more support to the selfemployed by giving them more benefits in return for the PRSI that they pay.

He intends to consult with the self-employed in the months ahead about what benefits they would like and whether they would be willing to contribute more to the fund, either on a compulsory or voluntary basis in return for additional benefits.

The measures also apply to adoptions