On 14 July, Cabinet approved the general scheme of the Pregnancy Loss Leave Bill 2026, brought forward by Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke. It's a small bill with a big first: for the first time in Irish law, employees who experience a miscarriage before 23 weeks of pregnancy will have a statutory right to paid leave.

Up to now, the law only stepped in after 23 weeks, when a pregnancy loss is classed as a stillbirth and full maternity leave applies. Anything before that point, and there was nothing. Burke put it plainly, saying the 23-week cut-off created a "cliff edge" where state supports kicked in on one side of the line and nothing existed on the other. This bill closes that gap.

What's actually in the bill

Here's what employers need to know, based on what's been published so far:

  • Five days of paid leave per year for an employee who experiences pregnancy loss before 23 weeks' gestation
  • It also covers women who terminate a pregnancy, not just miscarriage
  • It's a day-one right – employees don't need a length of service to qualify for the leave itself, though payment is subject to a 13-week service requirement
  • Leave can be split – taken as one continuous block or as two separate weeks
  • It must be used within 56 weeks of the pregnancy loss
  • Pay is set at 70% of the employee's daily rate, capped at €110 per day – the same structure used for statutory sick leave pay (SSLP), though it's a separate entitlement in its own right. Using pregnancy loss leave doesn't eat into an employee's SSLP allowance, and vice versa
  • Medical certification is required to access the leave (this differs slightly from Northern Ireland's version, which asks employees to simply tell their employer what happened, no medical evidence needed)

Burke also confirmed that paid leave for partners is being considered for a future phase, noting that pregnancy loss is a family loss, not just an individual one.

The general scheme now goes to drafting before it's published in full and brought to the Oireachtas, so the detail could still shift. But the direction is set.

Why this matters for HR teams

This is the kind of policy change that's easy to miss in the news cycle and then land on your desk fully formed a few months later. A few things worth getting ahead of now:

Update your leave policies before the law forces you to. Once this passes, you'll need a clear, documented process for requesting pregnancy loss leave, tracking entitlement, and handling the medical certification piece. Waiting until commencement means scrambling.

Train managers on how to handle these conversations. This isn't like requesting annual leave. Managers need to know how to respond with sensitivity, keep the conversation confidential, and point employees to the right process without making an already hard moment harder.

Think about your record-keeping. Five days a year, taken as one block or two, within a 56-week window, with certification on file. That's a specific set of rules to track accurately, especially if you're still managing leave through spreadsheets or paper forms. Employees will be expected to provide some form of medical proof to access the leave, though it's not yet clear exactly what that will look like in practice – whether a GP letter, a hospital note, or something more specific. Worth keeping an eye on as the bill moves through drafting.

Consider going further than the legal minimum. Some employers already offer paid pregnancy loss leave voluntarily, and plenty offer support beyond what any bill will require, things like flexible return-to-work arrangements or access to counselling. Legislation sets the floor, not the ceiling.

The bigger picture

Ireland is playing catch-up here. Employers across Ireland and the UK have been introducing their own miscarriage leave policies for years, and Northern Ireland's statutory scheme has been in place for some time. This bill brings the Republic of Ireland in line, and closes a genuine gap in workers' rights.

For HR teams, it's a reminder that leave entitlements aren't standing still. Between pregnancy loss leave, ongoing changes to sick leave and parent's leave, and whatever comes next, the list of leave types you need to track correctly keeps growing. Getting the systems right now, before the law lands, is a lot less painful than fixing it after.

Want the full breakdown?

Paid Miscarriage Leave Is Coming to Ireland: What Employers Need to Know

Get the details on the new Pregnancy Loss Leave Bill 2026 – what it covers, who qualifies, how pay is calculated, and the steps HR teams should take now to get ahead of it.

Download the guide

This blog post is for general guidance only. It does not constitute final or comprehensive advice. Statutory requirements, entitlements and dates are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (July 2026), but employers should confirm current obligations with the Workplace Relations Commission, Citizens Information, or qualified legal counsel before acting. HRLocker accepts no liability for errors or omissions.