Paternity and parent's leave in Ireland: weeks, pay and deadlines

Ireland gives the second parent two separate entitlements

Most countries have one payment for the non-birthing parent. Ireland has two, they run on different clocks, and you can use both. Missing that is the single most expensive mistake made here.

Paternity Benefit is 2 weeks, taken in the first 6 months. Parent's Benefit is 9 further weeks, taken any time in the first 2 years. Both pay the same weekly rate. Together that is 11 paid weeks for the second parent, which is a materially different proposition from two.

Paternity Benefit

Paternity Benefit is for employed and self-employed people on paternity leave who are covered by social insurance. It is available for any child born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016.

Rate and length

The standard weekly rate for 2026 is EUR 299. It is paid for 2 weeks, and the 2 weeks must be taken consecutively — you cannot split them. You can start your paternity leave at any time within the first 6 months following the birth or the adoption placement.

The PRSI conditions

The classes that count are A, E, H and S. As an employee you must have one of:

• at least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12 months before the first day of your paternity leave
• at least 39 weeks PRSI paid since first starting work, and at least 39 weeks paid or credited in the relevant tax year or the year immediately following it
• at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and at least 26 weeks paid in the year before it

If you are self-employed, you need 52 weeks of Class S contributions in the relevant tax year, or in the year immediately before or after it. For leave taken in 2026, the relevant tax year is 2024.

The deadlines that void a claim

Apply 4 weeks before you intend to start leave, or 12 weeks before if you are self-employed. Separately, notify your employer of your intended dates no later than 4 weeks before the leave, with proof of the due date or the birth. Your employer then completes form PB2; if you are self-employed, a doctor completes form PB3.

If you decide not to take the leave, you cannot be paid. The benefit follows the leave, not the birth.

Parent's Benefit

Parent's Benefit is paid while you are on parent's leave, in the first 2 years after your child's birth or adoption. Each parent gets their own entitlement — it is not a shared pool.

From 1 August 2024 it was extended from 7 weeks to 9 weeks. The 2026 rate is EUR 299 a week, the same as Paternity Benefit. You can take the leave in separate weeks or all at once, which makes it far more flexible than paternity leave.

The PRSI conditions mirror Paternity Benefit, with classes A, B, C, D, E, H and S counting. The notice and application deadlines differ, though, and they are longer:

• notify your employer of your intended dates no later than 6 weeks before the leave
• apply for the benefit at least 4 weeks before you start (6 weeks if self-employed)
• apply within 6 months of taking the leave, or you lose it

You need your child's PPS number to apply. Parent's Benefit is paid once for both single and multiple births, so twins do not double it.

You may be entitled to more than EUR 299

This is the provision most people never claim. If you have dependants, your rate is compared with the rate of Illness Benefit, including increases for dependants, that you would get if you were off sick. You are paid the higher of the two.

The Illness Benefit personal rate is lower — a maximum of EUR 254 — but it carries an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to EUR 168.60 and Child Support Payments of EUR 58 for each child under 12. Citizens Information's own worked example: a claimant with an unemployed partner signing on for credits and two children under 12 would be entitled to EUR 254 plus EUR 168.60 plus two payments of EUR 58, giving EUR 538.60 — and he receives that, not EUR 299.

Full increases apply if your adult dependant is signing on for credits or earning under EUR 100.01 a week; a tapered increase applies from EUR 100.01 to EUR 310; between EUR 310.01 and EUR 400 you get half-rate child payments only; above EUR 400 you get neither.

Tax, employers and special situations

Both benefits are taxable, but Universal Social Charge and PRSI are not payable on them. Many employers continue full pay during the leave and require the benefit to be paid to them instead; check your contract before you nominate a bank account.

If your baby is stillborn and you are entitled to paternity leave, you are entitled to 2 weeks Paternity Benefit if you meet the PRSI conditions. If your baby is in hospital, you can postpone paternity leave and benefit for up to 6 months. If your baby arrives prematurely before your leave was due to begin, you can change the dates by sending confirmation from your employer, or from a doctor or hospital if you are self-employed.

Half-rate Paternity Benefit or Parent's Benefit may be payable if you already receive certain payments, including One-Parent Family Payment and bereaved partner's pensions. Working Family Payment can continue alongside either benefit.

Where to get help

Apply for both benefits online at MyWelfare.ie; you will need a verified MyGovID and a Public Services Card. The Department of Social Protection runs the Paternity Benefit and Parent's Benefit sections and can confirm your PRSI record. If a decision goes against you, you can appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 60 days.