2 Weeks Is Not Enough.
Ireland's paternity leave is 2 weeks. The petition to extend it to 8.
Ireland gives new fathers just 2 weeks of paternity leave. Sweden offers 90 days. Spain offers 19 weeks. Iceland offers 6 months. It's time Ireland caught up.
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At 10,000 signatures, this petition will be brought to the Oireachtas, Minister Norma Foley, TD & Minister Dara Calleary, TD - to ask the government to start working for Irish families and not the other way around.
We're failing our families.
Two weeks is barely enough time to recover from the birth, let alone bond as a family. By the time a father returns to work, the stitches haven't healed, the sleepless nights have barely begun, and one parent is left to carry it all alone.
Ireland calls itself progressive, but on paternity leave, we rank among the worst in Europe.
The pressure this places on mothers, on mental health, on relationships, and on newborns is unacceptable.
This isn't a nice-to-have. It's a necessity. Families are struggling and the state is looking the other way.
Read the full breakdown of paternity leave in Ireland (2026) or see how Ireland compares to Europe.
How Ireland compares.
Paternity / father's leave across Europe.
Ireland
Leave
2 weeks
Pay Rate
~€299/week (state benefit)
Spain
Leave
19 weeks
Pay Rate
100% of salary
Norway
Leave
15–19 weeks
Pay Rate
80–100% of salary
Sweden
Leave
480 days shared (90 earmarked per parent)
Pay Rate
~80% of salary
Iceland
Leave
6 months
Pay Rate
80% of salary
Why 8 weeks?
8 weeks gives families real time together during the most critical and vulnerable period.
It allows fathers to be genuine partners, not just visitors in their own homes.
Research consistently shows that longer paternity leave improves maternal mental health, strengthens the father-child bond, and promotes gender equality at home and at work.
8 weeks is a realistic, achievable first step that brings Ireland in line with European norms.
The research is clear.
Peer-reviewed studies and policy research back the case for longer paternity leave.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation · 2025
Improving Statutory Paternity Leave would benefit families and the economy
More generous paternity leave delivers on both household financial security and economic growth.
National Institutes of Health (PMC) · 2018
Paternity Leave and Fathers' Involvement with Children
Fathers who take paternity leave show significantly higher involvement in childcare, with lasting positive effects on child development.
European Economic Review · 2024
Effects of extending paid parental leave on children's socio-emotional skills and well-being in adolescence
Extended parental leave improves children's socio-emotional development and well-being outcomes through adolescence.
A message to employers.
Extending paternity leave isn't just a government responsibility. It's a shared one. The companies that champion family-friendly policies today are building stronger workplaces, and a better reputation, for tomorrow.
Attract top talent
Companies that support families don't just do the right thing. They become employers of choice in a competitive market.
Boost retention & loyalty
Fathers who feel supported during the biggest moment of their lives come back more engaged, more loyal, and more productive.
Lead the change
The businesses that step up now will be remembered as the ones who helped shape a fairer Ireland. Those that resist will be left explaining why.
Share the financial responsibility
The state alone shouldn't carry the full cost. In countries like Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, employers are required to top up statutory pay so that fathers receive close to their full salary during leave. Ireland should adopt the same model. If companies benefit from the productivity and loyalty of their workforce, they should be partners in supporting families, not bystanders.
History tends to look favourably on those who stood up for families, and less so on those who looked the other way.
Employers backing this campaign
If your company supports extending paternity leave and wants to be part of this movement, we'd love to hear from you. Backing organisations will be showcased here.
Your company could be the first to show its support.
Your story matters.
"I've now had two babies who've had to spend significant amounts of time in the neonatal unit after birth, an enormous physical and mental effort which needs far more than 2 weeks to endure, let alone process. Also saw plenty of dads in there whose babies were admitted for months, requiring them to commute daily or weekly from up the country because they had to go back to work."
"I have a disabled wife who just gave birth and, coupled with a challenging labour, she needs as much support as possible. I have taken an additional 6 weeks of annual leave and wish I could give her more."
"2 weeks after delivery was when my wife and kids needed me the most. I had to take extended leave with reduced pay that only added to our worries when we should have been relishing our time as a growing family."
Whether you're a father who missed those early weeks, a mother who carried it all alone, or a family that felt the impact - your experience matters.
Real stories will make this campaign impossible to ignore.
Use the "Why does this matter to you?" field in the petition form.
Paternity leave is just the beginning.
Ireland's birth rate is falling. Young families are being squeezed from every direction: unaffordable childcare, inadequate parental pay, a housing crisis that makes starting a family feel like a luxury. Extending paternity leave is the first step. But if we're serious about supporting families, the state needs to go much further.
Earnings-Related Maternity Pay
Ireland pays a flat €299/week in maternity benefit regardless of salary, one of the lowest rates in Europe. Most EU countries pay 70-100% of actual earnings. Mothers shouldn't have to choose between financial survival and time with their newborn.
Affordable Childcare
Irish families pay over €1,000/month per child for full-time childcare, among the highest in Europe. Countries like Denmark, Belgium, and France treat childcare as public infrastructure, heavily subsidised and universally accessible. If we want people to have children, we can't bankrupt them for doing so.
Family Housing
You can't start a family if you can't afford a home with more than one bedroom. Ireland's housing crisis is directly linked to the falling birth rate. Couples are delaying or deciding against children because they're priced out. We need family-sized social housing, stronger rent protections, and targeted first-time buyer supports for growing families.
Flexible & Remote Work Rights
Ireland introduced the right to request remote work, but "request" isn't good enough. Parents in the first years of a child's life should have a genuine, enforceable right to flexible working. The pandemic proved it works. Stop making parents beg for it.
Parental Leave That's Actually Usable
Ireland offers 26 weeks of Parental Leave per parent, but it's completely unpaid, so most families can't afford to take it. Parent's Leave (9 weeks) is paid at just €299/week, regardless of salary. A parent earning €60k drops to roughly €15k annualised while on leave. Politicians point to these entitlements as generous without mentioning that the pay is so low they're unusable for most families. Earnings-related payments of 70-80%, as standard across Europe, would make the leave real, not just theoretical.
Fertility & IVF Support
Ireland only recently introduced limited public IVF funding, with long waiting lists. Many couples spend €5,000-€10,000+ per private cycle. Countries like France, Belgium, and Denmark fund multiple cycles publicly. For a country worried about birth rates, making fertility treatment financially punishing is completely counterproductive.
Financial Support for Families
Child benefit hasn't kept pace with the real cost of raising children. Increasing it, introducing a baby bonus for newborns (as France and Finland do), and offering tax credits for second and third children would show the state actually wants families to grow, not just survive.
Postnatal Mental Health
Postnatal depression and anxiety affect roughly 1 in 5 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers. Access to perinatal mental health services in Ireland is patchy at best. Ring-fenced funding for free postnatal counselling, home visits, and peer support groups would be a relatively low-cost intervention with enormous impact on families.
Ireland says it values families. It's time our policies reflected that.
Help us spread the word.
We need volunteers across the country to put up posters. Cork City is covered, but every other county needs help.
Drop us an email or DM on Instagram and we'll send you the poster PDF to print and put up in your local café, gym, crèche, community centre, or wherever people will see it.
The more places this is seen, the harder it is for politicians to ignore.
Add your voice.
Sign the petition calling on the Irish Government to extend paternity leave to 8 weeks.
Already signed? Sharing this page is just as important - every share brings new voices.
Sign and share - both matter.
Signatures show support. Shares spread the word. One share can bring in ten more signatures.
Write to Your TD
Make your voice heard. Find your local TDs and email them directly to ask for 8 weeks paid paternity leave.
1Email Your TDs
Select your county, then click your constituency to see your TDs.
2Copy & Customise the Email
Clicking "EMAIL →" above opens your email app with this template. Or copy and customise it below.
Dear [TD Name], I am writing to you as a constituent to urge you to support the extension of paid paternity leave in Ireland from the current 2 weeks to 8 weeks. Ireland currently lags far behind our European neighbours when it comes to supporting fathers in the early weeks of their child's life. Countries like Spain (19 weeks), Finland (over 6 months of shared leave), and Norway (15 weeks) have recognised that adequate paternity leave benefits not just fathers and children, but families, employers, and society as a whole. Research consistently shows that when fathers are supported to take meaningful time off after the birth of a child: • Children develop stronger bonds with both parents • Mothers recover better, both physically and mentally • The gender pay gap narrows as caregiving is shared more equally • Employers see improved retention and employee wellbeing Two weeks is simply not enough. Many fathers return to work before their partner has even recovered from childbirth. This puts enormous pressure on new mothers and denies fathers the opportunity to be fully present during one of the most important periods of their child's life. I am asking you to: 1. Publicly support the campaign for 8 weeks paid paternity leave 2. Raise this issue in the Dáil 3. Advocate for a clear timeline to extend paternity leave to at least 8 weeks Over 1,900 people have already signed the petition at 8weeksforfamilies.ie. This is an issue that matters deeply to families across Ireland, including in our constituency. I look forward to hearing your position on this matter. Yours sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address]
Opens your default email app with the template pre-filled.
💡 Tips for Maximum Impact
- •Personalise the email — share your own experience as a parent or expectant parent
- •Send to all your local TDs, not just one
- •Ask for a specific response — TDs are more likely to reply if you ask a direct question
- •Include your full name and address to show you're a real constituent