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

The people who qualify for this payment are the applicants who have received maternity benefit, adoptive benefit, or paternity benefit for their child. They will automatically satisfy the PRSI contribution requirements to receive parent's benefit. A person must be paying PRSI to qualify. The payment is €250 per week.

The question was asked whether single parents can get this benefit. Under the EU directive single parents cannot get this benefit on the double. The single parent can get it for himself or herself but they cannot get it a second time. The benefit goes to both parents, the father and the mother.

In 2022, 35% of the claims were from males and 65% were females. That trend is actually improving. In 2021 only 28% of applicants claiming the benefit were male and now it is 35%. In 2021 it was 72% female and that figure has gone slightly down, which is now at 65%. Hopefully, there will be more claims coming in. Parents have two years to claim the benefits from the time of the birth of the child. It was only one year but I have extended this to two years to make it easier.

The Deputy asked about carers. These are all things that will be considered in the budget. The budget is not too long away now. The budget will focus on the cost of living as well as tax measures.

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