Number of people claiming parent's leave increases almost five-fold

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys welcomed the increasing numbers accessing the support

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys: 'I want to encourage both mothers and fathers to take time off work and spend time with their newborn babies at what is a very special time for any family.' File picture: Julien Behal Photography/PA 

The number of people who received parent’s benefit between April and June was almost five times higher than during the same period last year, the Department of Social Protection has said.

The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid parent’s leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.

Following the commencement of the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 on April 1, an additional three weeks of paid parent’s leave is available to each parent.

The period in which the leave can be taken was also extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child, up from one year.

Since then, more than 20,400 parents have been awarded parent’s benefits between April and July this year compared with 4,600 in the same period in 2020, according to the Department of Social Protection.

Following the commencement of the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 on April 1, an additional three weeks of paid parent’s leave is available to each parent. File picture

The value of the benefit administered over the four month period was €14m, compared to €1.5m in 2020.

In April alone, the first month of the extended leave, 6,700 people were awarded the benefit.

The month during which the highest value was paid out was in July 2021, when €4,413,340 was paid to new parents.

In comparison, €572,000 was issued by the department in parent’s benefit payments in July 2020, when the support was paid for two weeks.

The benefit is paid at the same rate as maternity, paternity and adoptive benefits, which is €245 per week.

It is designed to allow parents to spend more time with their newborn children and during the formative years with their children.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said she was “delighted” by the take up of the benefit.

“I want to encourage both mothers and fathers to take time off work and spend time with their newborn babies at what is a very special time for any family,” she said.

“I want to take this opportunity to remind any parents who may have already availed of the original two weeks leave that the extension announced in the budget applies retrospectively to parents of children born on or adopted since 1 November 2019, and they can now claim the additional three weeks available to them.”