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Force Majeure/Illness in Family Leave
Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 and the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2006, a teacher is entitled to apply for Force Majeure Leave, which is a statutory special leave with pay for urgent family reasons. It is limited to a maximum of 3 days in each 12 months or 5 days in each 36 months period.
In determining eligibility for Force Majeure Leave, the specific circumstances must be:-
- the immediate presence of the teacher is indispensable, to provide support at the place where the ill or injured immediate relative is located.
and
- considered urgent owing to an illness/injury of an immediate relative, where the teacher has to act without delay
Illness in Family Leave consists of one or more school days, but must not exceed a maximum total of 5 school days in each school year, in respect of an immediate relative or 3 school days in each school year, in respect of a near relative. The maximum Illness in Family Leave entitlement in a school year, is 5 school days. This is inclusive of Force Majeure entitlements.
See Circular Letter 58/2023 for full details.
Occupational Injury Leave Scheme
Leave with pay may be granted by the employer, to a teacher who has been certified as medically unfit for work due to a physical injury sustained as a result of an accident in the actual discharge of their duties, including approved school activities; which was not due to negligence on the part of the teacher, and by some injury solely attributable to the nature of their duty which has been established by the employer as an Occupational Injury.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Occupational Injury Leave Scheme, a teacher may be granted paid leave up to a maximum of 3 months (92 days) full pay in a rolling 4 year period.
In exceptional circumstances, a teacher may be granted extended Occupational Injury Leave up to a maximum of 3 months (91 days) on full pay, subject to an overall limit of 6 months (183 days) in a rolling 4 year period.
See Circular Letter 13/2025 for full details
Domestic Violence Leave
Domestic Violence Leave is a period of paid leave and consists of one or more school days to a maximum of 5 school days in a consecutive 12 month period.
See Circular Letter 59/2023 for full details.
Jury Service
Teachers/lecturers are required to undertake jury service.
Carer’s Leave
The Carer’s Leave Act 2001 provides for an entitlement for an employee to avail of temporary unpaid leave from his/her employer to enable him/her to personally provide full time care and attention for a person who is in need of such care. The relevant person must be assessed by the Department of Social Protection as requiring full-time care and attention. The leave period is a maximum of 104 weeks in regard to any one relevant person. This leave, which is unpaid, may be taken as a continuous period or in separate unit periods, the aggregate duration of which does not exceed 104 weeks.
See relevant section in Department Circular Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools.