The first time Ciarán Ahern took paternity leave, he was working in the private sector. His employer topped up his salary, allowing him to take a month fully paid.
This time around, he is a Labour TD. The Houses of the Oireachtas have no provision in law for maternity or paternity leave, leaving fathers in his situation reliant on informal deals with political opponents.
“Sentimentally, it’s a beautiful time to be there. It was fabulous,” Mr Ahern said of his paternity leave experience for the birth of his second child, Daire
“You want to spend time – we’ll be working our whole lives.”
He spent four weeks at home full-time with his wife Maeve O’Rourke, their older son Fionn (3) and their newborn.
But childcare is a
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