Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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524. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of extending paid maternity to 12 months. [24148/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Maternity benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employees and those in self-employment who are on maternity leave and who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. A decision to extend the period of maternity leave for employees would have to be implemented by my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has policy and legal responsibility for this area. An extension of this leave would require careful consideration and consultation with relevant stakeholders.

In 2020 it is estimated that my Department will spend in excess of €270 million on maternity benefit in respect of an average of 21,000 recipients per week. Increasing the benefit to 52 weeks would double the costs of the existing scheme in a full year and would require a maternity benefit provision of €540 million. This estimate is based on the cost for a full year and assumes that any increase in duration is implemented from the beginning of the year.

There would be additional costs to employers as these estimates do not include the costs for substitution or salary top-ups. Exchequer staffing costs are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.