Debate contribution: Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
Debate contribution by Mr Pádraig Delargy on .
- MLA
- Mr Pádraig Delargy
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 29 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5645163
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I echo what other Members have said. Compassion is at the heart of the regulations, which are about understanding and ensuring that parents and families who have suffered the most heartbreaking and unimaginable grief are supported through one of the most difficult times in their lives. As a member of the Committee for the Economy, I thank the Minister for bringing the regulations forward and the Committee colleagues and departmental staff who have supported the Committee through the process and for supporting parents and families through an extremely difficult time. The parental bereavement leave and pay regulations offer some assurance at a time of uncertainty, tragedy and unspeakable pain for parents and wider family circles. The regulations have been extended to ensure that they also apply to parents who have lost a child through miscarriage and that parental bereavement leave is now a day-1 employment right. The North is the first region in these islands to legislate for parental bereavement leave and pay in the case of miscarriage, which makes us not just a leader locally but one of the leaders across Europe. The way in which we are supporting families when they most need it is something that we can be proud of. I commend the regulations to the House.
211 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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