No. 25 of 2005 - Adoptive Leave Act 2005
What does this law do?
The Adoptive Leave Act 2005 amends the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 to apply the appropriate recommendations of the Social Partnership Working Group on the Review and Improvement of the Maternity Protection Legislation to adoptive leave. The Act provides for the following:
- Increase in the adoptive leave period by 2 weeks to 16 weeks (already implemented by Statutory Instrument No 667 of 2004 with effect from 19 November, 2004 );
- adopting parent(s) to attend required preparation classes and pre-adoption meetings with social workers/health board officials during work hours without loss of pay;
- termination of additional adoptive leave in the event of illness, subject to the agreement of the employer;
- splitting the period of adoptive leave/additional adoptive leave in the event of the hospitalisation of the child, subject to the agreement of the employer
- and absence from work on additional adoptive leave will count for all employment rights (except remuneration, superannuation benefits) such as seniority and annual leave.
Contact Department: Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Signed by the President on: 1/11/2005
Full version of the Adoptive Leave Act 2005 on the Oireachtas website