Parental leave to be extended to five weeks
The Cabinet has approved Minister for Children Roderick O’Gorman’s plan to extend parental leave from two to five weeks.
Mr O’Gorman has also received Cabinet approval to extend the time the leave can be taken from just the first year to the first two years of child’s life.
The legislation is set to be introduced in January. The paid benefit is with the Department of Social Protection, which needs until April to update IT systems to reflect the change.
Mr O’Gorman is understood to be examining whether the extended leave can be introduced, with people paid in arrears when the systems are changed.
Speaking about the cabinet decision, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said: “We’re committed to ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life, and supporting parents to spend more time with their kids is a big part of that.”
NI launches enhanced autism training programme
Northern Ireland Education Minister Peter Weir has today published an enhanced autism training programme for teachers and the wider educational workforce.
The framework has been developed to equip all teachers, including trainee teachers and Classroom Assistants, with a range of strategies and skills which will enable them to manage the needs of all children, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), within the classroom.
The framework will be delivered online with support provided by the Education Authority (EA) and Middletown Centre of Autism (MCA) with separate courses specifically tailored for Early Years, Primary and Post-Primary.
Speaking at Belvoir primary school where he visited their Social Communication Provision, Minister Weir said: “It is a privilege to see at first hand the great work that is carried out in schools such as Belvoir primary school, to support pupils with autism.
“The enhanced training programme will provide all members of the educational community with a clear understanding of policies, procedures and obligations, ensuring pupils with autism have the best educational outcomes.”
Government aims to reform insurance sector
The Government has published the first Action Plan for Insurance Reform, with actions across Government to make Ireland’s insurance sector more competitive and consumer-friendly, supporting enterprise and job creation.
The Plan sets out 66 actions to bring down costs for consumers and business; introduce more competition into the market; prevent fraud and reduce the burden on business, community and voluntary organisations.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue said, “the Action Plan for Insurance Reform today represents a clear demonstration of this Government’s focus on reforming the insurance sector for our citizens and businesses”.
“Its focus on an all-of-government approach is necessary if we are to deliver the key reforms needed. I believe that the insurance industry has a key role in helping to reopen the economy and wider society as we begin to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, and welcome their support of this agenda.”