<p>
	Minister for Children James Reilly has said he is a &ldquo;really strong supporter&rdquo; of paid paternity leave and looked forward to a time when mothers and fathers could get equal entitlements.</p>
<p>
	However, he added that the State&rsquo;s &ldquo;constrained&rdquo; financial position meant such a situation could not be brought about in the short term.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;I think absolutely that there should be paternity leave, and I&rsquo;d be a really strong supporter of that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And I really believe that many more men . . . If it were paid and the options were there for people, they would exercise it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	T&aacute;naiste Joan Burton told her party conference at the weekend that steps enabling the Government to introduce two weeks&rsquo; paid paternity leave would be set out by the end of the year.</p>
<p>
	Asked if he thought fathers should be entitled to more than two weeks&rsquo; paid leave, Dr Reilly said: &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not pretend that we can solve all the problems at one fell swoop. I mean, we have to look, ideally, that you would have equal entitlement over an equal period of time for both fathers and mothers. But in a constrained financial situation we may have to walk a bit more slowly before we can run at the pace we&rsquo;d like to be running at.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	He was speaking after taking part in a conference on childcare organised by the European Commission Representation in Ireland to mark International Women&rsquo;s Day.</p>
<p>
	In his address to the conference, Dr Reilly said the Government was committed to introducing a second free pre-school year &ldquo;as resources allow&rdquo;.</p>
<p>
	He said he had asked an inter-departmental group to examine how the Coalition could promote &ldquo;a more balanced sharing of parenting&rdquo;.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;Dads should have as much opportunity to be active, involved parents as women do,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Mums should have as much opportunity to combine raising a family with activities outside the home as men do.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/childcare-burden-three-times-higher-in-ireland-31045123.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/childcare-burden-three-times-higher-in-ireland-31045123.html</a></p>
