Claire Kerrane
Question:128. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing maternity benefit from 26 to 30 weeks for those who have had multiple births. [6190/21]
View answerThursday, 4 February 2021
Questions (128)
Written answers
A decision to extend the duration of maternity leave, including that for families with multiple births, would be the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department has responsibility for the payment of any associated maternity benefit which is provided for in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended).
Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks at a rate of €245 per week. There is a provision of €261m for maternity benefit for 2021. CSO data from 2018 indicates that there were 1,120 instances of multiple births in Ireland, representing 1.9% of all births. Based on an apportionment of 1.9% of maternity benefit recipients, the additional cost of increasing the duration of maternity benefit by 4 weeks to 30 weeks, where there are multiple births, would be approximately €760,000.
It should also be noted that there would be additional costs to the Exchequer as these estimates do not include the costs for substitution or salary top-ups which would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Decisions around the extension of this benefit would have to be considered in a budgetary context and the impact it would have on employers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.