PART IV

PART IV
Amendment or Application of Other Enactments

Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977

SECTION 22

Amendment of section 1 of Act of 1977.

22.—Section 1 of the Act of 1977 is hereby amended by the insertion after "In this Act—" and before "contract of employment" of the following:

"[adopting parent] means an employee who is an employed adopting mother, an adopting father or sole male adopter within the meaning of section 2 (1) of the Adoptive Leave Act, 1995;".

SECTION 23

Amendment of section 2 (2) of Act of 1977.

23.—Section 2 (2) of the Act of 1977 (which specifies dismissals in relation to which that Act does not apply) is hereby amended by the insertion after paragraph (c) (inserted by the Maternity Protection Act, 1994) of the following:

(d) dismissal where—

(i) the employee]s employer at the commencement of the employment informs the employee in writing that the employment will terminate on the return to work with that employer of an adopting parent who is absent from work in accordance with the Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005 during a period of adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave or a