Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
624. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of maternity benefit applications refused on the grounds of insufficient PRSI; the estimated number involving full-time PhD researchers or scholarship holders; if a breakdown by HEI, by month will be provided; the number and outcome of appeals in these cases, in 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51413/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not collate statistics with the level of detail requested by the Deputy. Breakdowns by refusal reasons for Maternity Benefit claims, or those involving full-time PhD researchers or scholarship holders are not available. The overall number of Maternity Benefit claims, and the number and outcome of Maternity Benefit appeals, by year, are provided in the tables below.
Table 1: Maternity Benefit claims, by year
|
Year |
Claims registered |
Claims awarded |
Claims rejected |
|
2020 |
41,987 |
40,293 |
1,184 |
|
2021 |
45,938 |
43,283 |
1,002 |
|
2022 |
42,131 |
40,897 |
1,633 |
|
2023 |
43,253 |
40,657 |
1,469 |
|
2024 |
42,434 |
40,121 |
1,863 |
|
2025 (to end June) |
21,330 |
19,040 |
775 |
Table 2: Maternity Benefit appeals and outcomes, by year
|
Year |
Appeals registered |
Appeals allowed |
Appeals partially allowed |
Appeals disallowed |
Appeals revised by scheme area |
Appeals withdrawn by appellant |
|
2020 |
74 |
15 |
5 |
42 |
19 |
2 |
|
2021 |
57 |
4 |
3 |
30 |
21 |
1 |
|
2022 |
108 |
15 |
1 |
50 |
32 |
1 |
|
2023 |
102 |
9 |
1 |
64 |
23 |
2 |
|
2024 |
223 |
11 |
2 |
46 |
77 |
6 |
|
2025 (to end June) |
115 |
3 |
2 |
89 |
49 |
16 |
