| Maternity and paternity benefits recipients and rates, 2016-2019 | ||||
| number | ||||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Maternity Benefit recipients | 42,470 | 43,661 | 42,365 | 42,576 |
| Paternity Benefit recipients 1 | 4,580 | 25,753 | 24,004 | 27,020 |
| per 100 employees 2 | ||||
| Maternity benefit rate | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Paternity benefit rate | 0.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| 1 Paternity benefit scheme commenced in September 2016. | ||||
| 2 Female employees for maternity benefit rate and male employees for paternity benefit rate. See Background Notes for more details. | ||||
|
This is the first CSO release to examine employment data for people who received maternity and paternity benefits and is an example of the policy-relevant research projects the CSO are developing as part of their leadership role of the Irish Statistical System. Our goal is to maximise the variety and volume of data available, to provide high quality information to government, businesses and citizens. Under the auspices of the Statistics Act, 1993 and in compliance with all relevant data protection legislation, the CSO is in a unique position to gather and link administrative data sources held by government departments and agencies, and evaluate their potential for statistical use. A key objective of First 5, A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028 is that “parents will be assisted to balance working and caring to contribute to optimum child development and to best suit their family circumstances” and following discussions with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the CSO agreed to explore the potential of linking administrative data from Revenue and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, with CSO-held datasets to provide information on the areas of maternity and paternity benefits. The definition of a maternity and paternity benefit recipient used in this report is based on payment of maternity or paternity benefits in the relevant year. Rates of benefits are calculated using the total number of employees in relevant PRSI classes aged 15-44, the main child-bearing age group. (See Background Notes for more details). In using the increasingly-varied sources of data available, the CSO must ensure that we continue to protect and secure data. Our aim is to ensure that citizens can live in an informed society while at the same time ensuring adherence to all relevant data protection legislation. |
The highest rates of maternity benefit recipients per 100 employees in 2019 were in Public Administration and Defence (8.3), Education (7.2), and Financial and Real Estate (6.6). The lowest rates were in Accommodation and Food Service Activities (2.5), Administrative and Support Service Activities (3.2) and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (3.6), (see Figure 2 and Table 1).
| Sector | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Industry (B-E) | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Construction (F) | 5.8 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 6 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 3.1 | 3 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 6 | 5 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 8 | 8 | 7.3 | 6.6 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 8 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| Education (P) | 7.8 | 8 | 7.8 | 7.2 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 6.3 | 6 | 6.2 | 5.7 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.2 |
The highest rates of maternity benefit are in large enterprises with 250 or more employees. In 2019, the rate of maternity benefit per 100 employees was 6.4 in large enterprises compared with 4.1 in both micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees and small enterprises with 10-49 employees, (see Figure 3 and Table 1).
| X-axis label | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0--9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| 10--49 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| 50--249 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 250+ | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
The percentage of maternity benefit recipients who did not return to paid employment in 2019 after receiving maternity benefit in 2018 was highest in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing at 31.4%, followed by other NACE Activities (24.7%) and Construction (19.1%). The lowest proportions were in Public Administration and Defence (1.2%), Education (4.1%) and Financial and Real Estate (4.5%), (see Figure 4 and Table 2).
| Sector | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 32 | 31.3 | 31.4 |
| Industry (B-E) | 6.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 |
| Construction (F) | 17.2 | 19.3 | 19.1 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 11.4 | 10.8 | 11.3 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 6.9 | 5.4 | 8.9 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 17.2 | 16.6 | 18 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 5 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 12 | 10.4 | 9.7 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 15.1 | 13.1 | 15.8 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Education (P) | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 9.7 | 9.5 | 9.3 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 26.7 | 25 | 24.7 |
The number of employees in an enterprise is a strong factor influencing whether maternity benefit recipients return to paid employment. For micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees, 14.9% of maternity benefit recipients in 2018 did not return to paid employment the following year compared with just 3.4% in large enterprises with 250 or more employees (see Figure 5 and Table 2).
| Size class | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0--9 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 14.9 |
| 10--49 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 12.1 |
| 50--249 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 9.1 |
| 250+ | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
The likelihood of a woman in receipt of maternity benefit returning to paid employment drops for each additional child. The proportion of maternity benefit recipients who did not return to paid employment over the period 2016-2018 was highest for those women with four or more children, (see Figure 6 and Table 2).
| No. of children | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 9 |
| 2 | 10.1 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| 3 | 10.9 | 10.2 | 10.9 |
| 4+ | 11.6 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
Over half (54%) of women in receipt of maternity benefit in 2019 received a top-up payment from their employer in addition to their maternity benefit payment. Of those women who did not receive additional income from their employer, the majority earned less than the weekly maternity benefit payment amount from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Just over one in five (22.0%) women who earned more than the weekly payment amount did not receive a top-up to their income from their employer while receiving maternity benefit, (see Table 3). The Public Administration and Defence, and Education sectors were the most likely to top-up incomes of women in receipt of maternity benefit, where required. Only 1.5% of women in Public Administration and Defence, and 7.2% of those in Education did not receive an income from their employer, where required while in receipt of maternity benefit. The sectors least likely to provide a top-up income to women in receipt of maternity benefit, where required, were Wholesale and Retail Trade at 39.5%, and Accommodation and Food Service Activities at 38.9%, (see Figure 7 and Table 3).
|
Revenue's PAYE Modernisation system (PMOD) introduced on 1st January 2019 is the new way of gathering employment data and allows “real-time” analysis of tax and employment data. The analysis that follows relating to Figure 7, Figure 8 and Figure 9 examines the existence or otherwise of top-ups in earnings from employers for women who commenced maternity benefit in 2019 by comparing income before and after maternity benefit started. This analysis is only completed for women in receipt of maternity benefit in 2019 as it is not possible to identify and remove the effects of unpaid leave, changes in working patterns or non-salary pay such as bonuses or commissions in annual tax and employment data from the Person Income Register (PIR). See Background Notes for more details. |
| Sector | Proportion not receiving income from employer |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 33.7 |
| Industry (B-E) | 24.4 |
| Construction (F) | 36.8 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 39.5 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 37.5 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 38.9 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 12 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 16.9 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 29 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 34.1 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 1.5 |
| Education (P) | 7.2 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 25.6 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 38.7 |
Over four in ten (42.8%) maternity benefit recipients who worked in small enterprises with 10 to 49 employees were not receiving top-up income from their employer, where required, compared with just over one in ten (10.8%) of those in large enterprises with 250 or more employees, (see Figure 8 and Table 3).
| Size class | Proportion not receiving income from employer |
|---|---|
| 0--9 | 39 |
| 10--49 | 42.8 |
| 50--249 | 33.1 |
| 250+ | 10.8 |
Almost three quarters (73.9%) of women on maternity benefit who earned between €12,740 and €20,000 per annum in 2019 received no top-up income from their employer while in receipt of maternity benefit. This proportion dropped to 12.6% for those who earned between €40,000 and €50,000 and to close to 7% for those who earned between €50,000 and €80,000, (see Figure 9 and Table 3).
| Pay (bands) | Proportion not receiving income from employer |
|---|---|
| €12,740-€20,000 | 73.9 |
| €20,000-€30,000 | 51.9 |
| €30,000-€40,000 | 26.3 |
| €40,000-€50,000 | 12.6 |
| €50,000-€60,000 | 6.8 |
| €60,000-€70,000 | 7.6 |
| €70,000-€80,000 | 7 |
| €80,000-€90,000 | 5.8 |
| €90,000-€100,000 | 3.8 |
| €100,000+ | 4.6 |
The sectors with the highest rates of paternity benefit per 100 employees in 2019 were Public Administration and Defence (5.6), Industry (4.5) and Financial and Real Estate (4.2). Those sectors with the lowest rates of paternity benefit per 100 employees in 2019 were Accommodation and Food Service Activities (1.1), Administrative and Support Service Activities (1.7%) and Other NACE Activities (1.7%), (see Figure 10 and Table 4).
| Sector | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 0.6 | 3 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Industry (B-E) | 0.8 | 4 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
| Construction (F) | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3 | 3.4 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 0.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 0.6 | 3.4 | 3 | 3.2 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 0.6 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 0.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 0.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 0.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.6 |
| Education (P) | 0.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 0.5 | 3 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2 | 1.7 |
Paternity benefit is more likely to be taken in larger enterprises. Those enterprises with 250 or more employees had a paternity benefit rate of 3.9 per 100 employees in 2019, compared with 2.1 per 100 employees in micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees, (see Figure 11 and Table 4).
| Size class | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0--9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| 10--49 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| 50--249 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| 250+ | 0.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
Less than half (45.0%) of eligible fathers did not take paternity benefit in 2018, (see Figure 12 and Table 5). Accommodation and Food Service Activities had the highest proportion of fathers who did not take up paternity benefit at 57.5% while Education had the lowest at 30.7%.
| Sector | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 47.7 | 54.4 |
| Industry (B-E) | 35.4 | 37.2 |
| Construction (F) | 49.9 | 52.3 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 44.1 | 47.8 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 47.4 | 49.2 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 52.2 | 57.5 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 43.2 | 44.6 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 34.5 | 37.9 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 41.5 | 46.5 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 49.1 | 52.4 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 39.5 | 39.2 |
| Education (P) | 31.6 | 30.7 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 39.8 | 42 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 48.1 | 51 |
Micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees had the largest proportion of fathers who did not take paternity benefit to which they were entitled in the 2018, at 62.1%. Large enterprises with 250 or more employees had the smallest proportion of fathers not taking paternity benefit at 36.5% (see Figure 13 and Table 5).
| Size class | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| 0--9 | 59 | 62.1 |
| 10--49 | 49.8 | 53.3 |
| 50--249 | 41.6 | 45 |
| 250+ | 35.3 | 36.5 |
| Table 1: Maternity benefit rate by sector and number of employees in enterprise, 2016-2019 | ||||
| rate per 100 employees | ||||
| Sector and number of employees in enterprise | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Total maternity benefit rate | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Sector | ||||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Industry (B-E) | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Construction (F) | 5.8 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 6.6 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| Education (P) | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.2 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.7 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.2 |
| Number of employees in enterprise | ||||
| 0--9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| 10--49 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| 50--249 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 250+ | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Table 2: Percentage of maternity benefit recipients who did not return to paid employment the year after receiving maternity benefit by sector, number of employees in enterprise and number of children, 2016-2018 | |||
| % | |||
| Sector, number of employees and number of children of maternity benefit recipients | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Total | 10.3 | 9.6 | 10.1 |
| Sector | |||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 32.0 | 31.3 | 31.4 |
| Industry (B-E) | 6.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 |
| Construction (F) | 17.2 | 19.3 | 19.1 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 11.4 | 10.8 | 11.3 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 6.9 | 5.4 | 8.9 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 17.2 | 16.6 | 18.0 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 12.0 | 10.4 | 9.7 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 15.1 | 13.1 | 15.8 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Education (P) | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 9.7 | 9.5 | 9.3 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 26.7 | 25.0 | 24.7 |
| Number of employees in enterprise | |||
| 0--9 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 14.9 |
| 10--49 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 12.1 |
| 50--249 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 9.1 |
| 250+ | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| Number of children | |||
| 1 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 9.0 |
| 2 | 10.1 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| 3 | 10.9 | 10.2 | 10.9 |
| 4+ | 11.6 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| Table 3: Percentage of women in receipt of maternity benefit with no income from employer by sector, number of employees in enterprise and income bands, 2019 | |
| % | |
| Sector, number of employees and income bands for maternity benefit recipients | 2019 |
| Total | 22.0 |
| Sector | |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 33.7 |
| Industry (B-E) | 24.4 |
| Construction (F) | 36.8 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 39.5 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 37.5 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 38.9 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 12.0 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 16.9 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 29.0 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 34.1 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 1.5 |
| Education (P) | 7.2 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 25.6 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 38.7 |
| Number of employees in enterprise | |
| 0--9 | 39.0 |
| 10--49 | 42.8 |
| 50--249 | 33.1 |
| 250+ | 10.8 |
| Income (bands) | |
| €12,740-€20,000 | 73.9 |
| €20,000-€30,000 | 51.9 |
| €30,000-€40,000 | 26.3 |
| €40,000-€50,000 | 12.6 |
| €50,000-€60,000 | 6.8 |
| €60,000-€70,000 | 7.6 |
| €70,000-€80,000 | 7.0 |
| €80,000-€90,000 | 5.8 |
| €90,000-€100,000 | 3.8 |
| €100,000+ | 4.6 |
| Table 4: Paternity benefit rate by sector and number of employees in enterprise, 2016-2019 | ||||
| rate per 100 employees | ||||
| Sector and number of employees in enterprise | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Total paternity benefit rate | 0.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Sector | ||||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 0.6 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Industry (B-E) | 0.8 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
| Construction (F) | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 0.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 0.6 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 0.6 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 0.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 0.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 0.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.6 |
| Education (P) | 0.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Number of employees in enterprise | ||||
| 0--9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| 10--49 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| 50--249 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| 250+ | 0.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Table 5: Percentage of eligible fathers who did not take up paternity benefit by sector and number of employees in enterprise, 2017-2018 | ||
| % | ||
| Sector and number of employees in enterprise | 2017 | 2018 |
| Total | 42.4 | 45.0 |
| Sector | ||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (A) | 47.7 | 54.4 |
| Industry (B-E) | 35.4 | 37.2 |
| Construction (F) | 49.9 | 52.3 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade (G) | 44.1 | 47.8 |
| Transportation and Storage (H) | 47.4 | 49.2 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I) | 52.2 | 57.5 |
| Information and Communication (J) | 43.2 | 44.6 |
| Financial and Real Estate (K-L) | 34.5 | 37.9 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M) | 41.5 | 46.5 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities (N) | 49.1 | 52.4 |
| Public Administration and Defence (O) | 39.5 | 39.2 |
| Education (P) | 31.6 | 30.7 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities (Q) | 39.8 | 42.0 |
| Other NACE Activities (R-U) | 48.1 | 51.0 |
| Number of employees in enterprise | ||
| 0--9 | 59.0 | 62.1 |
| 10--49 | 49.8 | 53.3 |
| 50--249 | 41.6 | 45.0 |
| 250+ | 35.3 | 36.5 |
This release presents statistics on the employment characteristics of people in receipt of maternity and paternity benefits over the years 2016-2019, based on administrative data sources. The primary data source is the Revenue Commissioner’s pseudonymised Person Income Register dataset of employee annual earnings which is linked to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and other data to provide employment breakdowns.
The results presented in this release are based on a data-matching exercise of five administrative data sources:
The linkage and analysis was undertaken by the CSO for statistical purposes in line with the Statistics Act, 1993 and the CSO Data Protocol.
Before using personal administrative data for statistical purposes, the CSO removes all identifying personal information, including the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN). The PPSN is a unique number that enables individuals to access social welfare benefits, personal taxation and other public services in Ireland. The CSO converts the PPSN to a Protected Identifier Key (PIK). The PIK is a unique and non-identifiable number which is internal to the CSO. Using the PIK enables the CSO to link and analyse data for statistical purposes, while protecting the security and confidentiality of the individual's data. PIR, CRS and CSO records were linked using the PIK for this project. All records in the datasets are anonymised and the results are in the form of statistical aggregates which do not identify any individuals.
Person Income Register (PIR)
The PIR is a pseudonymised income register held internally within the CSO. It contains information on income received by individuals relating to employment, self-employment and social transfers. It is derived from administrative holdings held by the Revenue Commissioners and Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Therefore, the PIR provides a near complete picture on individual level income, for a calendar year. All linkage is carried out by using a PIK assigned on each contributing data source. The PIK is then used to link the pseudonymised data sources together to create the PIR. The PIK protects a person’s identity but also enables linking across data sources and over time. The PIK enables high quality deterministic matching thus significantly reducing/eliminating linkage error. PIR is valid up to 2018.
Business Register (BR)
Linking the unique enterprise number common to the PIR, the Revenue Commisioner's PAYE Modernisation (PMOD) file and the CSO’s Business Register allows enterprise level variables to be added to each individual employee for NACE Rev.2 industrial sectors.
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP)
The BOMi dataset provides additional payment details of maternity and paternity benefits. The Central Records System (CRS) of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides information on age, gender and family relationships. Using a unique identifier (PIK), each employee in the PIR dataset can be linked to their individual demographic characteristics on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Datasets.
Revenue PAYE Modernisation (PMOD)
The Revenue Commissioner’s PMOD is the new means of collecting employment data. The file is the most accurate source of remuneration for 2019 as it provides details of gross earnings from payroll submissions.
The number of maternity and paternity benefits recipients for each year was taken from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection BOMi dataset. This dataset contains pseudonymised payment data relating to people in receipt of both benefits. The number of people in receipt of both benefits were based on the year of their first claim date.
Details of the maternity benefit scheme can be found at the following link;
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/apply-for-maternity-benefit/
Details of the paternity benefit scheme can be found at the following link;
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/apply-for-paternity-benefit/
For the purposes of this analysis the target populations that could potentially be eligible for maternity or paternity benefits are:
For the analysis in this release, the CSO excluded employees earning less than €500 per annum and employments of less than two weeks duration in the year.
|
Target populations |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
|
Target population Maternity benefit |
731,026 |
753,702 |
780,125 |
806,669 |
|
Target population Paternity benefit |
776,281 |
802,355 |
832,479 |
863,835 |
The rates of maternity and paternity benefits were calculated using the number of recipients of both benefits divided by the relevant target population and then multiplied by 100 to achieve a rate per 100 employees from each of the target populations.
A maternity benefit recipient was defined as not returning to paid employment in a given year where she earned less than €500 per annum and had employment where the duration was less than two weeks in the year after claiming maternity benefit. For 2016 cohort returning in 2017 and 2017 cohort returning in 2018, this data was taken from PIR. For 2018 cohort returning in 2019, this taken was taken from PMOD.
Where a maternity benefit recipient received €0 (zero) income in the second month after starting maternity benefit, they were deemed to have not received additional income from their employer while in receipt of maternity benefit.
For the purpose of this analysis maternity benefit recipients who did not require a top-up over and above the social welfare payment, were deemed to be those who earned less than or equal to the weekly rate of maternity benefit, based on their income in the month before claiming maternity benefit.
Where a man is in the target population for paternity benefit and is also entitled to this benefit as he has a new father/child relationship in the DEASP CRS and satisfies the conditions of the scheme, but he does not claim the benefit, then it is deemed that the paternity benefit was not taken.
The four main size classes of enterprise are as follows;
Micro <10 employees
Small 10-49 employees
Medium 50-249 employees
Large 250+ employees
Enterprise size was allocated based on the CSO Business Register dataset.
The economic sector classification (NACE) is based on the ‘Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, Rev. 2 (2008)'
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/nomenclatures/index.cfm?TargetUrl=LST_NOM_DTL&StrNom=NACE_REV2
NACE codes were allocated accordingly as provided in PIR and PMOD.
The CSO publishes annual numbers of births, see this link:
https://statbank.cso.ie/multiquicktables/quickTables.aspx?id=vsa02_vsa09_vsa18
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http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/eampb/employmentanalysisofmaternityandpaternitybenefits2016-2019/
Show Table 1: Maternity benefit rate by sector and number of employees in enterprise, 2016-2019
Hide Table 1: Maternity benefit rate by sector and number of employees in enterprise, 2016-2019