In a move that will benefit thousands of families, Ireland has announced the extension of Parent’s Leave and Benefit scheme to 9 weeks, starting August 1.
It essentially means that the number of weeks that parents can take time off work, with financial support from the State, increases from 7 weeks to 9 weeks.
Parent’s Leave and Benefit is accessible to both parents with a child under 2 years old or who have adopted a child within the last 2 years.
A total of 78,200 Parent’s Benefit claims were awarded in 2023 as opposed to 16,700 in 2020. Over 38,800 Parent’s Benefit claims have been awarded in the first half of this year.
Commenting on the move, Minister Heather Humphreys said: “I am delighted that we are, again, increasing the number of weeks of paid parent’s leave each parent can take, this time from 7 to 9 weeks from 1st August. This is a measure which thousands of families with young children across the country will benefit from.”
Meanwhile, Minister Roderic O’Gorman underscored the importance of supporting parents to spend time with their children during the early years.
“Since 2020, the government has more than quadrupled paid parent’s leave, from two weeks up to nine weeks,” he added.
Parent’s Benefit, paid at €274 per week, is available to both employed and self-employed parents with the required social insurance contributions. From August 1, each parent can receive up to €2,466 for the 9 weeks of leave.