Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:352. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing maternity benefit to €300 a week and extending it to 52 weeks. [28870/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 July 2024
Ceisteanna (352, 353)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:353. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing maternity benefit to 52 weeks at current levels of payment. [28871/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together.
Maternity Benefit is a payment for employed women who are on Maternity Leave from work, and and self-employed women, who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is currently paid for twenty-six weeks at the weekly rate of €274 per week.
Any decision to extend the period of Maternity Leave for employees is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, who has policy and legal responsibility for Maternity Leave. Any extension of this leave would require careful consideration and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The cost of extending Maternity Benefit by 26 weeks, from 26 weeks to 52 weeks, at the current weekly payment rate of €274 would result in an additional increase of annual expenditure on the scheme of approximately €290 million.
The cost of extending the duration of Maternity Benefit by 26 weeks, from 26 week to 52 weeks, and also increasing the weekly payment rate by €26, from €274 to €300, would result in additional annual expenditure on the scheme of approximately €367 million.
These estimates are based on a full year basis and on the number of recipients in 2024. It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated number of recipients.
These estimates do not reflect any additional costs which may be incurred by employers who provide substitution or salary top-ups which, in the Civil and Public Sector, would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 353 answered with Question No. 352.