Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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593. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of providing an additional 12 weeks of paid maternity leave and an additional 12 weeks of paid paternity leave. [5741/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Maternity benefit and paternity benefit are paid by my Department and are based on payment of PRSI contributions while working. The current entitlement to paid maternity leave is 26 weeks and the current entitlement to paid paternity leave is 2 weeks. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €264 million on maternity benefit and €16 million on paternity benefit.

The estimated cost of providing an additional 12 weeks of paid maternity leave is approximately €115 million and an additional 12 weeks of paid paternity leave is approximately €62 million. These estimates are based on the cost for a full year and assume that any increase in duration is implemented from the beginning of the year.

It should also be noted that these costs are based on the new rate of €240 per week for both maternity and paternity benefit as provided for in Budget 2018 (up from €235) from 26 March 2018.

This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2018. It should also be noted that there are additional costs to the Exchequer as these estimates do not include the costs of salary top-ups for public/civil servants.