2024 Maternity Leave: Over 25% of Women Received No Employer Top-Up, CSO Reports

A 2024 report by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals that over a quarter of women on maternity leave received no employer top-up, relying solely on the €274 weekly State maternity benefit. This highlights a significant disparity between public and private sectors.

In the private sector, 53% of women experienced income loss, with nearly 20% losing over half their income. Conversely, 84.2% of public sector women maintained their regular income due to higher employer top-ups.

More than 50% of women returned to work within nine weeks of their final maternity benefit payment, with over 90% returning by week 26. While 70% returned to their previous employer, this figure rose to over 90% in public administration, education, and ICT, compared to 63.7% in hospitality. The proportion of women taking maternity leave is declining, reflecting a falling birth rate.

Paternity leave take-up among men increased slightly to 54.7% in 2023 (from 51.5% in 2019) but remains low. The take-up rate for parent’s benefit (€299 weekly) among men who claimed paternity leave was 43% in 2024, a slight decrease from previous years. Caroline Reidy of NFP Ireland noted that while parental leave policy has improved, «today’s data is a timely reminder that we still have more to do».