Paternity Benefit in Ireland

Paternity Benefit

Paternity Benefit was introduced on September 1st 2016 . Initially , every employer in Ireland had to offer new fathers two weeks’ paternity leave in the first 6 months following the birth of a child.

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Parental Leave

A new parental benefit was introduced in late 2019 and provided for 2 weeks’ paid leave to each parent of a child aged under 2 years on parental leave from work.

In April 2021 – this parental benefit was extended to 5 weeks.

• From July 2022 the Parent’s Benefit was increased from 5 weeks to 7 weeks. The additional two weeks of Parent’s Leave applies to children who are under the age of 2 in July 2022, or adoptive children who have been placed with their parents for less than two years in July 2022.

• Since 1 August 2024 , parents can avail of 9 weeks paid Parent’s Leave and Benefit. The measure means that under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit schemes, 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 Benefit will be paid at the same rate as Maternity, Paternity and Adoptive benefits, which is €245 per week.

Parent’s Benefit is available to employed and self-employed parents with the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. It is available to parents within 2 years of their child’s birth or adoption.

Parent’s Benefit is paid at a rate of €274 a week. This is the same rate as Maternity, Paternity and Adoptive benefit.

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Apply for Paternity Leave

You should apply to your employer in writing at least 4 weeks before taking your paternity leave. You must provide your employer with proof of the expected date of confinement of your spouse or partner. In other words, you will be required to provide a certificate from your spouse or partner’s doctor confirming when your baby is due, or confirmation of the actual date of birth if you are applying for leave after the birth.

If you are adopting a child, you must provide confirmation of the date of the child’s placement.
If you are self employed you need to apply 12 weeks in advance.

Paternity Benefit is paid directly into your bank or building society account – or you can choose to have it paid directly into your employer’s bank account.

Note: Some employers will continue to pay an employee, in full, while the employee is on paternity leave. In such cases the employer will generally require the employee to have any Paternity Benefit paid to them. You should check your contract of employment to see what applies to you.

Applicants for Paternity Benefit  must register for a Public Services Card (if you don’t already have one) and register with  mywelfare.ie

Not Only For Men

Paternity Benefit can be claimed by the spouse, cohabitant or civil partner of the mother, regardless of gender or by the spouse, cohabitant or civil partner of the adopting mother or by the spouse, cohabitant or civil partner of a sole male adopter.

Provision is also made in the legislation that Paternity Benefit can be paid to the father of the child in cases where the father is not a spouse, cohabitant or civil partner of the child’s mother.

PRSI Requirements

The following requirements might seem confusing – but our advice is to apply anyway  , the worse that can happen is you don’t qualify.

PRSI contributions can be from both employment or self-employment – the PRSI classes that count for Paternity Benefit are A, E, H and S (self-employed). Paternity Benefit is not payable to serving members of the Defence Forces who pay PRSI at Class H.

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If you are employed you must have:

At least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12-month period before the first day of your paternity leave.

Or

At least 39 weeks PRSI paid since first starting work and at least 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year or in the tax year immediately following the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on paternity leave in 2016, the relevant tax year is 2014 and the year following that is 2015
Or

At least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on paternity leave in 2016, the relevant tax year is 2014 and the year before that is 2013.
If you do not meet these PRSI conditions and you were self-employed before starting work as an employee, you can use your Class S (self employed) contributions to qualify for Paternity Benefit – see PRSI conditions for self-employed people below.

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If you are self-employed you must be in insurable employment and have:

52 weeks PRSI contributions paid at Class S in the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on paternity leave in 2016, the relevant tax year is 2014.
Or

52 weeks PRSI contributions paid at Class S in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on paternity leave in 2016, the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year is 2013
Or

52 weeks PRSI contributions paid at Class S in the tax year immediately following the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on paternity leave in 2016, the tax year immediately following the relevant tax year is 2015.

Note: If you were previously insurably employed in a country covered by EU Regulations, you may combine your insurance record in that country with your Irish PRSI contributions to help you qualify for Paternity Benefit

For more details you can call the Dept of Social Protection on : 1890 66 22 44

The quickest way you can apply for Paternity Benefit online is by logging onto mywelfare.ie