Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
405. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the date on which the new parental leave arrangements will apply; the date on which a child has to be born for a parent to be eligible for leave; the reason maternity benefit is not a qualifying payment for the Christmas bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41864/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraParent’s Leave and Benefit will be extended from 2 weeks for each parent to 5 weeks as announced in Budget 2021. This measure will cost an estimated €28.6 million in 2021 and will support up to 39,000 parents. This extension will be made available retrospectively to parents in respect of children born or adopted since 1st November 2019 and the period during which this leave can be taken extended from 12 to 24 months.
Officials from my Department are working closely with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with regards to the preparation of the legislation necessary to enable the implementation of this extension of leave and to provide for the necessary parallel amendments to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) to enable the extended payment of benefit. The draft Heads of the legislation are at an advanced stage and are expected to be brought to Government shortly. The extra weeks leave will be made available as soon as the necessary legislation which is being drafted by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is enacted.
In addition, significant changes are required to the Department's systems to administer this extension, including the provision of retrospective entitlement. This work needs to be undertaken so that is does not compromise existing supports in an environment where there are unprecedented levels of demand on the Department’s services due to Covid-19.
Once the new application and payment system goes live, expected by next April, my Department will process and issue benefit payments, to include backdated payment of benefit as appropriate, in respect of Parents Leave taken from the date of enactment.
The Christmas Bonus will be paid in the week beginning 7th December 2020 to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on social welfare payments for all, or most, of their income. Recipients on short-term payments, including those in receipt of maternity benefit, do not qualify for a Christmas Bonus payment.
In recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on employment levels and the sudden financial impact on individuals, the Bonus will be paid this year, on an exceptional basis, to people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for a period totaling 17 weeks or more and who are in payment on the date the Bonus is paid. To ensure equity with other jobseekers, it will also be paid to people on jobseeker payments who have similarly been in receipt of these payments in respect of unemployment for four months or more.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
