Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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277. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the financial measures the Government is taking to support parents who wish to stay home with their children in light of a poll (details supplied) that showed 69% of mothers with children under 18 would prefer to stay home with their children if their financial situation allowed it. [17167/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to supporting families in caring for their children and a wide range of supports are available across Departments to ease the financial pressure on families. My Department provides a number of such key supports.

Child Benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. It is paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated at over €2.2 billion in 2025.

Several family leaves and benefits are available in the first crucial period of a child’s life. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has responsibility for the policies on family leaves. The Department of Social Protection has responsibility for the associated benefits.

Maternity Leave and Benefit are available for 26 weeks, Adoptive Leave and Benefit for 24 weeks, and Paternity Leave and Benefit for two weeks. Furthermore, both parents can avail of nine weeks of Parent’s Leave and Benefit in the first two years following the birth or placement of a child.

When the current durations of Maternity, Paternity and Parent’s Leave are combined this adds to 46 weeks of paid leave for a two-parent family. As part of Budget 2025 the standard rate of Maternity, Adoptive, Paternity, and Parent's Benefit increased by €12 to €289 per week from January 2025.

In addition, 16 weeks of unpaid Maternity Leave is available, and each parent can take up to 26 weeks unpaid parental leave before their child’s twelfth birthday.

Where a person qualifies for a social welfare payment they get an amount for themselves called the 'personal rate of payment'. Depending on their circumstances and that of their spouse, partner or cohabitant, they may also get an additional amount known as an Increase for a Qualified Adult. A person with a child or children may also receive a child support payment of €50 per week in respect of a child aged under 12 and €62 per week in respect of a child aged 12 or over.

The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment which provides an income top-up for employees with children and with low earnings. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. To be eligible for the Working Family Payment the applicant must work a minimum of 38 hours a fortnight. The payment made is 60% of the difference between overall weekly household income and the income threshold for their family size.

Other supports from my Department include the Newborn Baby Grant, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and the School Meals Scheme.

In addition to the supports provided by my Department, a range of cross-Government measures also help to reduce the cost of raising children. These include the Early Childhood Care Scheme; the National Childcare Scheme and the Free School Books Scheme which is being extended to students in Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, from the start of the 2025/26 school year.

The Programme for Government sets out a range of ambitious commitments to assist families with children. These include:

• progressively increasing the Child Support Payment;
• continuing to support families with the cost of raising their family through the Child Benefit payment,
• exploring a targeted Child Benefit Payment; and
• completing the roll-out of Hot School Meals to primary schools and commencing the rollout to secondary schools.