Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of individuals who have taken up paternity leave in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28108/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not hold data on the number of individuals availing of paternity leave, only for those availing of Paternity Benefit. Paternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed people who are on paternity leave from work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). It is paid for 2 weeks and is available for any child born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016. Paternity leave may start at any time within the first 6 months following the birth or adoption placement.

The number of claims awarded for Paternity Benefit by month since January 2023 is shown in Table 1 as follows.

Number of awarded claims for Paternity Benefit, by month.