Thousands of workers are missing out on the opportunity to spend time with their young children because the Government has failed to honour its commitment to introduce pay-related parents’ benefit, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has said.In a letter to Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, calling on him to set out a timetable for the introduction of the benefit promised in the programme for government, said Ictu general secretary Owen Reidy and president Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the public consultation on the changes should be published before the summer recess in order to get what they say is likely to be a lengthy process under way.At present, parents of children under two years of age are entitled to up to nine weeks’ leave to look after them, but in cases where the employer does not pay or top up their wages for the period they are off work, their statutory entitlement is just €299 per week.The figure, the two union leaders suggest in their letter to Calleary, “covers little more than the gross pay for a half-time, minimum wage job”. “At one of the most expensive times for a young family, the replacement rate is so low it is an insurmountable obstacle to exercising their right to nine weeks’ parents’ leave for far too many working parents in their baby’s first two years. “Our affiliated public and private sector unions regularly hear from members aggrieved at having to let this precious time with their young child go unused, in whole or in part, by one or both parents, because it is not financially feasible for their family. “This goes against the spirit of the EU work-life balance directive, which necessitated the introduction of parents’ leave and benefit,” they suggest.Parents’ benefit is separate from parental leave, which entitles parents to up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave until they turn 12. The absence of a pay-related element to the benefit has long been regarded as a disincentive to participation in the scheme, particularly for men.Research published last year by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Economic and Social Research Institute suggested just a quarter of men who were entitled to parents’ leave availed of it, compared to two-thirds of women.In a statement, the department said the reaction to the introduction a little over a year ago of pay-related Jobseeker’s Benefit was still being studied. “The learning and operational experience from it will inform the development of options for pay-related parents’ benefit,” it said. It confirmed a public consultation would mark the first step in the process of introducing pay-related parents’ benefit but gave no time frame for its launch.