Adoptive Leave Act 2005
In short
This law updates the Adoptive Leave Act 1995, primarily by adjusting the periods of adoptive leave and additional adoptive leave, and introducing new provisions for time off for pre-adoption classes and for terminating additional leave due to sickness.
What it regulates
- The minimum and maximum periods of adoptive leave and additional adoptive leave.
- Entitlement to time off for pre-adoption classes and meetings.
- The conditions under which additional adoptive leave can be terminated due to sickness.
- The specific circumstances for adoptive fathers to take leave if the adopting mother dies.
Who it concerns
- Employed adopting mothers (or sole male adopters).
- Employed adopting fathers in specific circumstances.
- Employers of adopting parents.
Key points
- Adoptive leave for an employed adopting mother (or sole male adopter) is a minimum of 16 weeks, starting on the date of placement.
- Additional adoptive leave for an employed adopting mother (or sole male adopter) is a maximum of 8 weeks, commencing immediately after adoptive leave.
- Employees are entitled to time off from work, without loss of pay, to attend mandatory pre-adoption classes and meetings held within the State.
- An adopting parent who is sick while on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave may request to terminate the additional adoptive leave.
Legal text
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SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 25 of 2005 ADOPTIVE LEAVE ACT 2005 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section
- Definitions.
- Amendment of section 2 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 6 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 8 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 9 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 10 of Principal Act.
- New section 11A to Principal Act.
- New section 11B to Principal Act.
- New section 11C to Principal Act.
- New section 11D to Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 12 of Principal Act.
- Substitution of section 15 of Principal Act.
- Substitution of section 16 of Principal Act.
- Substitution of section 17 of Principal Act.
- Substitution of section 18 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 19 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 20 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 23 of Principal Act.
- Amendment of section 24 of Principal Act.
- Substitution of section 28 of Principal Act.
- New section 45 to Principal Act.
- Short title, collective citation and commencement. Acts Referred to Adoptive Leave Act 1995 1995, No. 2 Defence Act 1954 1954, No. 18 Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1960 1960, No. 44 Redundancy Payments Act 1967 1967, No. 21 Redundancy Payments Act 2003 2003, No. 14 Social Welfare Acts Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 1977, No. 10 Number 25 of 2005 ADOPTIVE LEAVE ACT 2005 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ADOPTIVE LEAVE ACT 1995 AND TO PROVIDE FOR CONNECTED MATTERS. [2nd November, 2005] BE IT ENACTED
THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: Definitions. 1.—In this Act— “Act of 1977” means the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 ; “Order of 2001” means the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2001 ( S.I. No. 30 of 2001 ); “Order of 2004” means the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2004 ( S.I. No. 667 of 2004 ); “Principal Act” means the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 . Amendment of section 2 of Principal Act. 2.—Section 2 (interpretation) of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection
substituting the following definitions for those of “additional adoptive leave” and “adoptive leave”: “ ‘additional adoptive leave’ has, subject to subsection (2A), the meaning assigned to it
section 8
section 6
substituting “Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform” for “Minister for Equality and Law Reform” in the definition of “the Minister”, and (iii)
inserting the following definition: “ ‘postponed leave’ has the meaning assigned to it
section 11C
inserting the following subsection after subsection
- a)in case part of such leave is postponed under section 11C, the part already taken or the part postponed, as appropriate, or (
- b)in any other case, a continuous such period, whether or not so postponed.”. Amendment of section 6 of Principal Act. 3.—The following section is substituted for section 6 (amended, as to the minimum period of adoptive leave,
Article 4of the Order of 2004) of the Principal Act: “Entitlement of employed adopting mother (or sole male adopter) to minimum period of adoptive leave. 6.—
order made
the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the Minister for Finance.”. Amendment of section 8 of Principal Act. 4.—Section 8 (entitlement of employed adopting mother or sole male adopter to additional adoptive leave) (amended, as to the maximum period of additional adoptive leave,
Article 5
of the Order of 2001) of the Principal Act is amended
substituting the following subsection for subsection
- a)Subject to this Part, an employed adopting mother (or sole male adopter) who is entitled to, or is on, adoptive leave shall, on request, be entitled to further leave (to be known as ‘additional adoptive leave’) from the employee's employment. (
- b)The additional adoptive leave shall commence immediately after the adoptive leave and be for a maximum period of 8 weeks. (
- c)The maximum period may be extended
order made
the Minister.”. Amendment of section 9 of Principal Act. 5.—Section 9 (entitlement of adopting father to adoptive leave in certain circumstances) (amended, as to the period of such adoptive leave,
Article 5
of the Order of 2004) of the Principal Act is amended
substituting the following subsection for subsection
- a)Where an adopting mother dies, the adopting father shall be entitled to leave (to be known as ‘adoptive leave’) from his employment. (
- b)The adoptive leave shall be for a period of— (
- i)in case the adopting mother dies on or after the day of placement, 16 weeks less the period between the date of placement and the date of her death, or (
- ii)in any other case, 16 weeks. (
- c)The period may be extended
order made
the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the Minister for Finance.”. Amendment of section 10 of Principal Act. 6.—Section 10 (entitlement of adopting father to additional adoptive leave in certain circumstances) (amended, as to the periods of such leave,
Article 7
of the Order of 2001) of the Principal Act is amended
substituting the following subsection for subsection
- a)An employed adopting father who is entitled to, or is on, adoptive leave on the death of the adopting mother shall, on request, be entitled to further leave (to be known as ‘additional adoptive leave’) from his employment. (
- b)The additional adoptive leave shall be for a period of— (
- i)in case the adopting mother dies on or after the expiration of 16 weeks from the day of placement, 8 weeks less the period between the date of that expiration and the date of her death, or (
- ii)in any other case, 8 weeks. (
- c)The period of additional adoptive leave may be extended
order made
the Minister.”. New section 11A to Principal Act. 7.—The following section is inserted in the Principal Act after section 11: “Time off to attend certain pre-adoption classes and meetings. 11A.—
- a)to a member of the Defence Forces who is— (
- i)on active service within the meaning of section 5 of the Defence Act 1954 or deemed to be on active service within the meaning of section 4
- ii)engaged in operational duties at sea, (iii) engaged in operations in aid of the civil power, (
- iv)engaged in training that is directly associated with any of the activities referred to in subparagraphs (i), (
- ii)and (iii) of this paragraph, or (
- v)engaged in any other duty outside the State, (
- b)if the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces in exceptional circumstances so directs, to a member of the Defence Forces who is required to perform a duty which is, in the opinion of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, of a special or urgent nature for so long as the member is performing the duty, (
- c)to a member of the Garda Síochána who is on the direction, or with the consent, of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána serving outside the State and performing duties of a police character or advising others on, or monitoring them in, the performance of such duties or any related duties for so long as the member is so serving, and (
- d)if the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in exceptional circumstances so directs, to a member of the Garda Síochána who is required to perform a duty which is, in the opinion of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, of a special or urgent nature for so long as the member is performing the duty.
- i)notified the employer in writing of the dates and times of the classes concerned, or the date and time of each class, as soon as practicable but not later than 2 weeks before the date of the first class, or the class concerned, as the case may be, and (
- ii)produced to the employer, on request, an appropriate document indicating the dates and times of the classes, or the date and time of the class, concerned. (
- c)Where the circumstances are such that, in the case of a particular class, non-compliance
the employee with paragraph (b) is not due to any neglect or default
the employee in relation to attendance at the class, the employee is deemed to have complied with the requirements of that paragraph if, not later than one week after the date of the class concerned, he or she provides the employer with evidence of the attendance and an indication of the circumstances which gave rise to the non-compliance.
- a)who is sick while on adoptive leave or while entitled to, or on, additional adoptive leave, and (
- b)who wishes to terminate the additional adoptive leave, may request the employer in writing to terminate the additional adoptive leave or cause such a request to be made.
the employee and the employer that is— (
- a)not earlier than the date on which the sickness began, and (
- b)not later than the date on which the leave would have ended in accordance with the notification of intention to take it given
the employee to the employer under this Part or section 41, as the case may be.
- a)the absence from work of the employee owing to sickness after the termination shall be treated in the same way as any other absence from work of the employee owing to sickness, and (
- b)the employee shall cease to be entitled to any leave not
then taken.”. New section 11C to Principal Act. 9.—The following section is inserted after section 11B of the Principal Act: “Postponement of leave on hospitalisation of child. 11C.—
- a)an adopted child is in hospital, and (
- b)the child's adopting parent (‘the employee’) is entitled to, or is on, adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave, the employee may request the employer in writing (or cause such a request to be made) to postpone in accordance with this section— (
- i)the whole of the adoptive leave and any additional adoptive leave, (
- ii)the part of the adoptive leave not
then taken and any additional adoptive leave, or (iii) the whole of the additional adoptive leave or any part not
then taken, as appropriate.
the employee and employer that is not later than the date on which the leave concerned is due to end in accordance with the notification given under section 7 or (as the case may be) given, or deemed under subsection
- b)the leave concerned shall be postponed or, as the case may be, postponed with effect from the date agreed under paragraph (a), (
- c)the employee shall be entitled in accordance with this section to the leave or the part of the leave not taken
reason of the postponement (in this Act referred to as ‘postponed leave’), and (d) the postponed leave shall be taken as a continuous period beginning not later than 7 days after the child is discharged from hospital or such other date as may be agreed between the employer and the employee.
the employee as soon as is reasonably practicable after the employee becomes aware of the date of the child's discharge from hospital. (c) The notification may be revoked
a further notification in writing given
or on behalf of the employee to the employer.
the employer continues to work or, as the case may be, returns to work in accordance with section 11C
- a)the absence from work of the employee owing to sickness shall be treated in the same way as any other absence from work of the employee owing to sickness, and (
- b)the employee shall cease to be entitled to the postponed leave.”. Amendment of section 12 of Principal Act. 11.—Section 12 (placements of less than 14 weeks' duration) (amended, as to the periods of placement,
Article 6
of the Order of 2004) of the Principal Act is amended
substituting the following subsection for subsection
- a)shall be deemed to have been in the employment of the employer, and (
- b)shall, subject to subsection
statute, contract or otherwise.
- a)shall be deemed to have been in the employment of the employer, and (
- b)shall, subject to subsection
statute, contract or otherwise.
- a)shall be deemed to be in the employment of the employer, and (
- b)shall, subject to subsection
statute, contract or otherwise.
the employee on returning to work after the absence.
regulations prescribe a period or periods of training in relation to which subsection
- a)any purported termination of or suspension from employment of an adopting parent while absent from work— (
- i)on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave, or (
- ii)attending pre-adoption classes or meetings in accordance with section 11A; (
- b)any notice of termination of the employment of an adopting parent given during the parent's absence from work— (
- i)on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave, or (
- ii)while attending pre-adoption classes or meetings in accordance with that section, and expiring after the absence.”. Substitution of section 17 of Principal Act. 14.—The following section is substituted for section 17 of the Principal Act: “Extension of certain notices of termination of employment and certain suspensions. 17.—
- a)a notice of termination of employment, or (
- b)a suspension from employment, which is given to or imposed on an adopting parent before the adopting parent begins a period of leave under this Act and which is due to expire during the adopting parent's absence from work on that leave.
the period of the absence concerned.
- a)either— (
- i)with the employer with whom the employee was working immediately before the absence, or (
- ii)if during the absence there was a change of ownership of the undertaking in which the employee was employed immediately before the absence, with the owner (in this Act referred to as ‘the successor’) of the undertaking when the absence ended, (
- b)in the job which the employee held immediately before the absence began, and (
- c)under the contract of employment under which the employee was employed immediately before the absence began, or (as the case may
- be)under a contract of employment with the successor, which is identical to the contract under which the employee was employed immediately before the absence and (in either case) under terms or conditions— (
- i)that are not less favourable than those that would have been applicable, and (
- ii)that incorporate any improvements in the terms and conditions of employment to which the employee would have been entitled, if the employee had not been so absent from work.
the employee immediately before the absence was not the employee's normal or usual job, the employee shall be entitled to return to work, either in the normal or usual job or in the job so held, as soon as is practicable.
substituting the following paragraph for paragraph (b) of subsection
- b)the terms or conditions of the contract— (
- i)relating to the place where the work under it is required to be done, the capacity in which the employee concerned is to be employed and any other terms or conditions of employment are not less favourable to the employee than those of the employee's contract of employment immediately before the absence from work on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave, and (
- ii)incorporate any improvement in the terms or conditions of employment to which the employee would have been entitled if the employee had not been so absent from work during that period.”. Amendment of section 20 of Principal Act. 17.—Section 20 (notification of intention to return to work) of the Principal Act is amended— (a)
substituting the following subsection for subsection
- a)where the leave is for a period of 4 weeks or less, at the same time as the employee notifies the employer of intention to take the leave, (
- b)where the leave is for a period of more than 4 weeks— (
- i)subject to subparagraph (ii), in case the leave is postponed leave, either— (I) at the same time as the employee notifies the employer under section 11C
deleting subsection
substituting the following paragraph for paragraph (d) of section 2
the said section 23: “(
- d)dismissal where— (
- i)the employee's employer at the commencement of the employment informs the employee in writing that the employment will terminate on the return to work with that employer of an adopting parent who is absent from work in accordance with the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005 during a period of adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave or a period of time off from work while attending certain pre-adoption classes or meetings, and (
- ii)the dismissal of the employee duly occurs for the purpose of facilitating the return to work of the adopting parent.”. Amendment of section 24 of Principal Act. 19.—Section 24 of the Principal Act is amended
substituting the following paragraph for paragraph (h) of section 6
the said section 24: “(h) the exercise or contemplated exercise
an adoptive parent of the parent's right under the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005 to adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave or a period of time off to attend certain pre-adoption classes or meetings.”. Substitution of section 28 of Principal Act. 20.—The following section is substituted for section 28 of the Principal Act: “Amendment of Schedule 3 to Redundancy Payments Act 1967. 28.— Schedule 3 to the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 is amended— (a) in paragraph 5 (absences from work which do not breach continuity of employment) (substituted
section 12 (a) of the Redundancy Payments Act 2003 ),
substituting the following subparagraph for subparagraph (b): ‘(
- b)a period during which, in accordance with the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005, an adopting parent was absent from work while on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave or while attending certain pre-adoption classes or meetings,’, and (
- b)in paragraph 8A (absences allowable as reckonable service) (inserted
section 12(b) of the said Act of 2003),
substituting the following subparagraph for subparagraph (a): ‘(a) a period during which, in accordance with the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005, an adopting parent was absent from work while on adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave or while attending certain pre-adoption classes or meetings,’.”. New section 45 to Principal Act. 21.—The following section is inserted after section 44 of the Principal Act: “Revocation. 45.—The Adoptive Leave Act 1995 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2001 ( S.I. No. 30 of 2001 ), so far as unrevoked, and the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2004 ( S.I. No. 667 of 2004 ) are revoked.”. Short title, collective citation and commencement. 22.—
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