A COVID-related benefit paid to working parents forced to take unpaid leave to care for their children during school closures has been fully paid-out, the Social Justice Ministry said on Saturday. Just under four out of every five applicants, or 78 per cent, were eligible for the COVID-19 parent benefit and received weekly payments of €166.15 or €103.85 per week, depending on whether they work full- or part-time. The benefit, first introduced when schools closed due to public health restrictions in 2020, was reintroduced in March when authorities ordered classrooms to go online between March 15 and April 11. Parents of children aged under 16 unable to work from home were eligible to apply. In a statement on Saturday, the Social Justice Ministry said all payments under the scheme have now been made. The total financial outlay amounted to €580,000, which rises to €645,000 when social security contributions are included.
