Almost 1500 people are in receipt of Maternity Benefit in the Shannonside Northern Sound region.
According to the data, Westmeath is the county with the highest amount of claimants.
Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who comply with PRSI contributions and conditions.
The benefit saw an increase of €12 per week, bringing the payment to €262 per week from January 2023.
The latest release from the Department of Social Protection breaks down a number of Maternity Benefit claims per county.
The number of applicants in the region so far this year shows at a decrease of 15% from the same period last year.
As of January of this year, County Westmeath shows the highest number of claimants under the maternity scheme at 374, with County Cavan a close second at 328.
The review reveals that there are 151 applicants in County Longford, and 266 in County Monaghan.
Leitrim is currently the county with the lowest amount of claimants of the scheme at 127.
By the end of January 2023, a total of 19,400 people were in receipt of the Maternity Benefit across the nation.
