1975. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of parent’s benefit claims received in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, by whether the claimant is a lone parent or one of two parents in the household; the estimated annual cost of amending the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 to allow a lone parent to draw the full eighteen-week combined entitlement currently available across two parents, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59639/26]

My colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality has policy and legal responsibility for Parent's Benefit, including matters relating to its duration. My Department has responsibility for the associated benefit.

Parent’s Benefit provides nine weeks paid leave to each parent during the first two year of a child’s life or following adoption. Government has provided over €123 million for the scheme in 2026.

The EU Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers provides that the nine weeks leave available under the scheme is non-transferrable between parents to promote the equal participation of men and women in the workplace and in caring role. Any further extension of the scheme would be need to be considered in the context of its impact on employers, costs, sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund and in the context of overall improvements in social welfare.

The number of claims registered for Parent’s Benefit since 2022 is set out in the table below. My Department does not maintain data on the number of lone parent's claiming Parent's Benefit.