Using the ‘Maternity Trust Fund Contribution’ which was introduced in July 2015 via Legal Notice 257 of 2015, employers are obliged to pay 0.3% of the basic weekly wage of all employees via the monthly FS5. Using this contribution, employers are then eligible to claim back a refund for the first 14 weeks of Maternity or Adoption Leave via the Maternity / Adoption Leave Trust Claim Application.

Usually, Employers are allowed to submit their claims for the maternity leave refund once the employee return to work after having utilised the maternity leave period, however for a limited time only, the Maternity Leave Claim Application can be submitted for previous employments dating back as far as July 2015.

Therefore, if in previous years you had employees that availed themselves of maternity leave and even if they are no longer employed by, you can take advantage of this opportunity. Older applications are currently being accepted giving a refund of up to an average of €4,000 per applicant.

If you would like more information or require our assistance to submit this application, you can contact us at [email protected]