Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 3

Written Answers. - Child Support.

Liam Lawlor

Question:

258 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether the rights of parents of twin children and their perceived inequality of treatment in comparison to other multiple birth children should be addressed in the Equal Status Bill, 1999, having regard to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5916/00]

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

269 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will equalise payments for multiple births so that parents of twins are given an extra payment in accordance with the arrangements for triplets and other multiple births; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6079/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 269 together.

The legislative provisions governing the rates of payment of child benefit, CB, including the entitlements in respect of twins and multiple births of three or more children, are provided for in the Social Welfare Acts. The position in relation to this issue is that, prior to the introduction of the Social Welfare Act, 1998, CB was payable at double the normal rate for each child where three or more children are born together. In the case of twins, CB was paid at the normal rate but a grant of £500 was payable at the birth of twins and further grants of £500 were payable when the twins reached the ages of 4 and 12.

I introduced two key additional measures in the Social Welfare Act, 1998. First, the rate of CB payable in respect of twins was increased to 150% of the normal CB rate. Prior to the election, we promised to increase child benefit for twins by 50% and we carried out this commitment in full in our first budget. Second, the £500 grants, which previously were confined to families with twins, were extended to also include families with multiple births of three or more children. These measures took effect in September 1998 at a full year cost of some £4.8 million. In the interim, I have also provided for very substantial additional investments in the CB scheme. The 1999 budget provided for an additional full-year investment in the scheme of over £40 million, while the recent budget provides for a full-year investment of almost £106 million. From September of this year, the basic CB monthly rates will have risen to £42.50 in respect of the first two children and £56.00 in respect of the third and subsequent children. These improvements will benefit all families with children, including, of course, families with twins and represent, in my view, the most effective use of the available resources.