Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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334. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of parents who availed of the original two weeks of parent’s benefit and leave; the number who then availed of the additional three weeks as of April 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35816/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The number of Parents benefit claims created from 1st April to 27th June 2021 was 15,391

By way of comparison, the total number of Parents benefit claims received for the months of April, May and June 2020 was 2,841.

It should be noted that while a claim may be awarded in one month, the leave and benefit could be availed of at a different time, or over a period of months, as it is available to use one week at a time. Since each week is a continuation of the same Parents Benefit claim a report on the number of individual weeks a parent has taken to date is not available.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.