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Maternity Leave

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022

Thursday, 2 June 2022

Ceisteanna (50)

Claire Kerrane

Ceist:

50. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that he plans to improve the provision and payment rate of maternity leave and benefit in the State considering recent findings that Ireland ranks amongst the lowest in Europe for paid maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24494/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Maternity leave and benefit is one of the suite of family leaves available in Ireland to people with parental responsibilities, which also includes unpaid parental leave and paid parent’s leave.

There have been a number of developments in terms of leave for working parents in recent years. These notably included, in 2019, the introduction of two weeks paid Parent's Leave and Benefit for each parent in the first year of a child's life, extended in 2021 to five weeks to be taken within the first two years. Provision has been made in Budget 2022 to increase the number of weeks of Parent’s Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. Practical arrangements for the payment of Parent’s Benefit are being finalised with the Department of Social Protection and a date for the commencement of the extension will be announced shortly.

The rates at which Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent's Benefit are paid are matters for the Minister for Social Protection in the first instance. As a result of measures in Budget 2022, the rates of Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent's Benefit were increased by €5 to €250 a week, effective from January 2022. New parents are also eligible for Child Benefit which is paid at €140 per month for each child. Any changes to the rate of Maternity Benefit would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

Family leave entitlements are kept under review to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of parents and children.  However, there are no plans at present to amend the maternity leave entitlements currently provided for under the Maternity Protection Acts.

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