Ireland Offers 26 Weeks’ Paid Maternity Leave to ‘Pregnant Men’
6th August 2026
Irish health chiefs have declared that “pregnant men” are entitled to maternity leave—despite pregnancy and childbirth being exclusively female.
Gript reports that new guidance from the state-run Health Service Executive (HSE) says transgender employees who are legally recognised as male can claim 26 weeks of paid maternity leave if they become pregnant or give birth.
“Since 2023, transgender men who are pregnant or have given birth can access maternity leave,” the advice states.
To qualify, employees must hold a gender recognition certificate under Ireland’s Gender Recognition Act 2015, which allows a woman to change her legal sex to male.
They can also claim a further 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave immediately after the paid period ends.