Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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619. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing maternity, paternity and adoptive benefit by €10, €25 and €50 per week in tabular form; and the cost of extending maternity benefit by 26 weeks. [23660/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The costs of these measures are presented in the table below. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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620. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of introducing six weeks of parental benefit at €240 per week, which could be taken by either parent at the end of the 26 weeks of maternity benefit. [23661/18]

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 full year cost of introducing parental benefit which could be taken by either parent would depend on the cohort of parents who would avail of it. For example an additional week of maternity benefit would cost approximately €9.6m while an additional week of paternity benefit would cost €5.2m. If those on maternity benefit were to take the additional six weeks the cost would be approximately €57.6m and for those in receipt of paternity benefit, the cost approximately €31.2m. If both cohorts i.e. mother and fathers shared the leave equally (3 weeks each) the cost would be approximately €44.4m.

These estimates are based on the cost for a full year at the current minimum rate of €240 per week for both maternity and paternity benefit and assume that any increase in duration is implemented from the beginning of the year.

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.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.