Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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308. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the plans his Department has to incentivise expectant fathers to apply for paid paternity leave; if he will consider a mandatory system of paid paternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8717/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The commencement of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 created an entitlement to two weeks’ paternity leave from employment in relation to children born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016. The commencement of the Act also created a new associated social welfare scheme of paternity benefit from 1 September 2016. Paternity Benefit is paid at the same rate as maternity benefit which is €230 per week.

Paternity Benefit is a social insurance payment with the same qualifying PRSI conditionality as maternity benefit. It is only payable to employees and self-employed who have the required number of PRSI contributions. With the introduction of two weeks of paid paternity leave in addition to twenty-six weeks of paid maternity leave the State is offering parents potentially twenty-eight weeks of paid support.

It is important to note that the legislation ensures no statutory obligation on an employer to continue to pay the normal salary during paternity leave. Employers have the option of providing a further top-up to the father’s regular salary if they so choose. In drafting the legislation we had to be conscious, in this regard, of limiting the potential additional costs for business. However, a number of employers do top up their employees paternity benefit in much the same way as they offer to top up maternity benefit.

There are a number of factors that determine the take up of any new scheme including, parental choice, whether the father or relevant parent has sufficient PRSI contributions, whether they are self-employed and can afford to take the time off from their business and if an employee, whether or not their employer would top up their wages.

Where fathers have the required number of PRSI contributions they have flexibility to determine according to their own circumstances whether they wish to avail of paid paternity leave or not. I have no plans to introduce a mandatory system of paid paternity leave.