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“We're not much use, but good for logistics”: an exploratory study of parenting leaves in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2020

Eileen Drew  and
Anna Watters
Eileen Drew*
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Anna Watters
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
*
*Corresponding author. Email: edrew@tcd.ie
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Abstract

This paper examines family leaves in Ireland, particularly for fathers, in the context of changing parenting roles and the increased involvement of fathers in the care of their child(ren). Drawing upon the results of a survey that captured the views of 637 parents and focus group discussions with parents, it highlights parental experiences of parental, paternity and maternity leave. Policy changes are explored to assess the preferences of fathers and mothers in terms of payment, duration and transferability of leaves between parents. In tandem with women's increased access to employment, the study examines evidence of men's desire for greater equality in family roles. The question posed is whether a policy response is needed in relation to fathers' rights to family leave and, if so, on what terms?

Keywords

fathersmaternity leavemotherspaternity leaveparental leavesocial policy
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , October 2014 , pp. 245 - 264
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis

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