Arthur Morgan
Ceist:238 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost to the State of increasing maternity leave entitlements to 26 weeks paid and 26 weeks unpaid leave. [25998/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 27 October 2004
Ceisteanna (134, 135, 136)
Arthur Morgan
Ceist:239 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost to the State of increasing adoptive leave entitlements to 24 weeks paid and 26 weeks unpaid leave. [25999/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraArthur Morgan
Ceist:240 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost to the State of introducing a paternity leave entitlement of two weeks per child. [26000/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 to 240, inclusive, together.
Maternity benefit is a payment made to employed women who are entitled to maternity leave under the maternity leave acts and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions on their own insurance record. It is normally payable for a continuous period of 18 weeks. The estimated cost of maternity benefit during 2003 was €107 million for the 30,000 claims awarded. Increasing the number of weeks from 18 up to 26 would lead to an approximate €52.3 million increase in cost in the first year and €57.2 million in a full year. An extension to the period of unpaid leave would not of its nature lead to an increase in direct programme spending. However, the extended award of credited PRSI contributions, which are currently awarded for periods of unpaid leave so as to preserve access to social insurance entitlements, could have some implications for the longer term financing of the social insurance system. It would be difficult to quantify these implications.
Adoptive Leave is a payment for employed women who are entitled to adoptive leave under the Adoptive Leave Acts and self-employed women who satisfy certain PRSI conditions on their insurance record on the occasion of adopting a child. The estimated cost of adoptive benefit during 2003 was €532,000 for the 183 awards made during the year. Increasing the number of weeks that adoptive leave is payable from 16 to 24 would lead to an approximate increase of €162,000 in the first year and €174,000 in a full year. An extension of the period of unpaid leave would not lead to an increase in direct programme spending. However, the extended award of credited PRSI contributions, which are currently awarded for periods of unpaid leave so as to preserve access to social insurance entitlements, could have some implications for the longer term financing of the social insurance system. It would be difficult to quantify these implications.
Arrangements for paternity leave are currently a matter between employers and employees. Some employers, including those in the public sector, currently offer a number of days paid paternity leave to fathers immediately following the birth of a child and any paternity benefit would involve a transfer to the State of a cost currently paid by these employers. Indicative costings suggest that payment by the State of two weeks paternity benefit on a similar basis to maternity benefit might cost €9.5 million per annum, although the lack of data surrounding the number of fathers who might be eligible and the number who might avail of this potential payment makes accurate costing difficult.