The first time Ciarán Ahern took paternity leave, he was working in the private sector. It was fabulous,” Mr Ahern said of his paternity leave experience for the birth of his second child, Daire. They faced a similar dilemma to Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee, the first Cabinet Minister to take maternity leave. Ms Cairns took maternity leave when her baby was born on general election day in November 2024. She set out the issues, including the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission not having the statutory power to provide for paternity leave.

Source: The Irish Times January 05, 2026 12:50 UTC