Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987, ss 40, 41, 51, 52
Yes. However, if you challenge the decision the employer must prove that the redundancy situation arose after they notified you (in response to your original parental leave notice) that your position could be kept open (see “Notifying your employer that you want to take parental leave” above). Your employer must also prove that there was no prospect they could appoint you to a vacant position that was substantially similar to your old job.
Your employer will also have to meet the usual requirements for any redundancy – that is, the decision and the decision-making process must have been fair and reasonable. The requirements for a fair process include, for example, consulting with you and giving you a chance to have input into the decision. For redundancies, see “Leaving or losing your job” in the chapter “Starting and leaving a job”.