Seanad debates

Tuesday, 2 December 2003

Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage.

 

2:30 pm

Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

I would like to ask about leave and the payment of benefit. One of the benefits I mentioned relates to the payment of maternity benefit, which reaches a maximum of €175 per week. If a mother who is in receipt of maternity benefit dies when her child is very young, the father should inherit her right to receive payments, even if he is in employment and has the right to take time off. Perhaps this is outside the Minister of State's jurisdiction. If we are to transfer certain rights, we should also transfer the right to receive payments. A father who has to take time off work in such circumstances may not be paid by his employer because it is unlikely that the employer will have a paternity benefit pay scheme. As a consequence, such a father may depend on the payment of maternity benefit to a greater extent.

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