Gary Gannon
Question:479. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of one additional week of parent’s benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38054/21]
View answerTuesday, 13 July 2021
Questions (479)
Written answers
The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Following the commencement of the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, an additional three weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to each parent. The period in which the leave can be taken has also been extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
Any decision to extend the duration of parent's leave for employees would be a matter in the first instance for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, who has policy responsibility for this area.
Parent’s Benefit is paid at €245 per week - the same rate as Maternity, Paternity and Adoptive Benefits. Parent's Benefit is available to provide care for the child and can be taken in individual periods of a week over a period of 24 months. This allows working parents to spend more time with their children during these important and formative years.
The estimated annual cost of increasing Parent’s Benefit to six weeks based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021 is €7.3 million.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.