Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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181. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people who have availed of parents benefit in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; the number of mothers and the number of fathers who have availed of parent's benefit in each of these years; his views on whether further steps can be taken to encourage greater uptake of parent's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32966/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The number of people who have availed of Parent’s Benefit in each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 is set out in the table below, along with breakdown by gender:

Up to the end of May 2025, 42,331 claims have been awarded. As Parent’s Benefit can be claimed in separate periods of minimum one week up to the maximum of nine weeks, we cannot provide an accurate number of unique recipients and gender breakdown until early 2026. Figures for applications this early may not give a complete picture of the overall gender break down for this year.It is worth noting that the proportion of fathers availing of Parent’s Benefit has increased steadily over this period - from 33.9% of total claims in 2022 to 37.2% in 2024 indicating a positive trend in shared parenting responsibilities.The Programme for Government commits to “introduce Pay-Related Parent’s Benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied.” Work is ongoing within my Department to examine potential models for a Pay-Related Parent’s Benefit. One aim of examining a pay-related approach, is to support more parents to avail of their full entitlement.I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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182. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding the self-employed who are on an S contribution for access to illness benefit, if he will implement a similar scheme as the scheme in place for job seekers benefit for self-employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32973/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Illness benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance.Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at class S which does not provide entitlement to illness benefit.Jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) is a social insurance benefit scheme for self-employed people insurable at class S who have ceased their self-employment.Self-employed people pay contributions to the Social Insurance Fund at a lower rate of 4.1%. This is 11.15 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.25% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available to employed contributors including:

• Adoptive Benefit;
• Carer’s Benefit;
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory);
• Invalidity Pension;
• Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);
• Maternity Benefit;
• Parent's Benefit;
• Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension);
• Paternity Benefit;
• State Pension (Contributory);
• Treatment Benefit; and
• Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.