Parental Leave/Force Majeure Leave
Parental leave is a period of unpaid leave available to teachers/lecturers for the purpose of the care of children. Following the Parental Leave (EU Directive) Regulations 2013, workers are entitled to 26 weeks parental leave from 1st September 2020 (previous allowance was 22 weeks from 1st September 2019 and 18 weeks before this date).
With effect from the 8th of January 2024, a teacher is entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks Parental Leave in respect of each child up to the age of 16 years of age, effective from the date of this Information Note. Previously, the entitlement was 26 weeks Parental Leave in respect of each child up to 13 years of age, or the age of 16 years in the case of a child with a disability and/or long-term illness. Application for Parental Leave should be made by the teacher to his/her employer at least 6 weeks prior to the planned commencement date.
At second level, a teacher may avail of parental leave in blocks of at least 1 week up to a maximum of 26 weeks. Please note each period of parental leave must be a minimum duration of 7 consecutive days including weekends, school closures and days on which a teacher is not timetabled for attendance occurring within that period.
Six weeks advance notice must be given. See Circular Letter 0054/2019 - 'Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers Employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools.' . The section on the Parental Leave Scheme begins on p.81 of the document.