Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the arrangements for maternity leave within the public bodies under the aegis of her Department; if she will consider providing an additional eight weeks' paid leave in regard to maternity leave; the likely cost thereof; the likely cost to the Exchequer of six weeks' paid parental leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12740/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under maternity protection legislation all employees in the public bodies under the aegis of my Department are entitled to 18 weeks' paid maternity leave and eight weeks' additional unpaid maternity leave.

Any changes to paid maternity leave arrangements would be an issue for the Government as a whole. My Department does not have an estimate of the cost of extending parental leave as requested by the Deputy.

With regard to parental leave, the Deputy might be interested in an estimate that was provided by the working group on the review of the Parental Leave Act 1998 in its report, published on 29 April 2002. The group estimated that the cost to the public sector of 14 weeks' parental leave at full pay, similar to maternity leave, would amount to €50.5 million, based on 2001 costs. At current costs the figure would be approximately €60.6 million.