Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has apologised for significantly delayed maternity benefits payments.
Maternity benefits owed to new mums on leave have been backlogged for 'a number of months', according to the Department of Social Protection.
The Department says it is 'extremely sorry' about the error and said this is due to a new system being implemented and staff training.
The Department confirmed that there are 2,850 women waiting to have their claims processed. Some women are receiving less than half of their normal wages, while others are receiving nothing at all.
Women are advised to apply for benefits six weeks before their due date and are meant to begin maternity leave two weeks before the birth of their child. However, the Department says those experiencing a delay can expect to have their claim processed within three to four weeks of beginning their leave. With weekly benefits at €235, this adds up to an out-of-pocket loss of up to €1,000 per month.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, the minister said that the delay wasn't linked to the introduction of paternity benefits which came into effect in September. Paternity benefits of around €230 are paid to fathers for two weeks.
Varadkar said he hoped the matter would be resolved 'in a matter of weeks',
.@campaignforleo: Maternity benefit payments delay is something we hope to have resolved in the next couple of weeks.
— Fine Gael (@FineGael) 10 May 2017
In a statement, the Department said: "The delays are temporary and have been caused by the effort required to bed in a new system, to train up staff including newly recruited staff and to refine processes.
"We want to assure customers that the Department is making every effort to ensure that they will be paid in a timely manner and in order to alleviate delays; extra staff has been assigned and staff are working overtime."
Opposition parties have criticised the Minister, in light of his announcement yesterday that the Department would publish the names and addresses of welfare cheats.
#morningIreland @campaignforleo is delay in #maternitypayments part of your campaign for @FineGael leader like your "dole cheats" campaign?
— Cllr Michael O'Brien (@cllrmobrien) 10 May 2017
Irish parents can currently take up to 18 weeks parental leave, but there's no law making employers pay you for this period. This means that maternity benefits can be a mother's sole source of income.
As MummyPages wrote this week, there are currently proposals from Brussels to make maternity leave paid for up to four months, though this has seen opposition from Business Europe.
Have you experienced a delay in your payments? Get in touch below.
