Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 110 together.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. 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, an additional three weeks of paid parent's leave is available to each parent, and the period in which the leave can be taken has been extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Budget 2022 provided for parent's leave and benefit to be extended from five weeks for each parent to seven weeks. I am pleased that this extension came into effect on 1 July. The additional two weeks of leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under the age of two in July 2022 or in the case of adoption, children who have been with their parents for less than two years at that point. Parent's benefit is currently paid at €250 per week. Parent's benefit can be paid in separate weekly blocks or can be paid over a consecutive period. Since the introduction of the scheme, up to the end of June this year, my Department has awarded more than 100,000 parent's benefit claims at a cost in excess of €65 million.

I am delighted that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and I have been able to progress this and increase it to seven weeks since it first started. The support applies to both parents. The Government's ambition is to ensure parents can enjoy meaningful, quality time with their newborn children in the knowledge that they will be financially supported. The Deputy knows that it is important that parents have the opportunity to spend time with their children in those early, formative years of their lives. I have a little grandson and I spend time with him at any chance I get. It is important that we give them that time because we can buy them all the things in the world, but at the end of the day, there is nothing like time with a child.

That is what makes the difference.

Parent's leave and benefit is available to anyone with a child under the age of two or who has adopted a child within the previous two years. The take up of parent's leave and benefit has increased threefold since 2020. In 2021 a total of 51,400 parents were supported compared to just 16,700 parents in 2020. Since the start of 2022 the total number of applications awarded reached over 28,000.

Already this year 28,000 applications are in and I am absolutely delighted to see that more and more people are applying for it. I note that the number of fathers applying is increasing but I would particularly encourage fathers to take up this benefit and spend time with their children. That is very important.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman and I continue to work on this. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has responsibility for the policy side and I administer the payments from my Department.

Since the formation of the Government we have increased the parent's leave and benefit from two weeks to seven weeks. This allows tens of thousands of new parents to take time away from work knowing that they are financially supported.

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