The government has published a legal notice today stating that maternity leave is to be extended by four weeks over a two year period. The regulations will come into effect as from January the 1st, 2012.

In the legal notice the regulations specify that uninterrupted maternity leave is to be increased to 16 weeks commencing from January the 1st and will then increase to18 weeks as from January the 1st, 2013.

The Government will also pay a fixed rate of €160 a week for the additional weeks of maternity leave.

The legal notice also states that working mothers cannot be forced to work overtime during pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth or adoption of a child.

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