
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.
(2) This regulation and regulations 2 and 5 come into operation on 15th March 2015.
(3) Regulations 3, 4 and 6 come into operation on 5th April 2015.
2 
The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 are amended as follows.
3 
In regulation 13, omit paragraph (1A).
4 
For regulation 15 (when parental leave may be taken) substitute—“
15. 
An employee may not exercise any entitlement to parental leave in respect of a child after the date of the child’s 18th birthday.”.
5 
In paragraph (1) of regulation 18 (right to return after maternity or parental leave), for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—“
(b) the last of two or more consecutive periods of statutory leave which did not include—
(i) any period of parental leave of more than four weeks; or
(ii) any period of statutory leave which when added to any other period of statutory leave (excluding parental leave) taken in relation to the same child means that the total amount of statutory leave taken in relation to that child totals more than 26 weeks,”.
6 
In paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 (default provisions in respect of parental leave)—
(a) in sub-paragraph (b) omit “and”;
(b) omit sub-paragraph (c).
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Employment and Learning on 2nd March 2015.
Dr Stephen Farry
Minister for Employment and Learning
