Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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73. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure new mothers who do not qualify for maternity benefit, due to not working for long enough, are not forced to return to work before their baby is six months old as a result of financial difficulty. [27999/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. In 2015 the Department will spend €254 million on Maternity Benefit, in respect of an average of 23,600 recipients per week.

Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave. As with all social insurance payments entitlement to Maternity Benefit is predicated on a minimum number of contributions being paid. In order for an employee to qualify for Maternity Benefit a woman must have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12 months before the first day of her maternity leave; or have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid since first starting work and at least 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the Relevant Tax Year or in the year following the Relevant Tax Year; or have at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the Relevant Tax Year and at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the Tax Year prior to the Relevant Tax Year

Where an individual has insufficient social insurance contributions to qualify for Maternity Benefit, they may be eligible for another social welfare payment provided they meet the relevant contingency conditions. For instance, new mothers who do not qualify for Maternity Benefit may be eligible for a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme. This scheme is considered a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system for eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.