Vol. 525 No. 4
65 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on whether he has given any further consideration to the introduction of a new parental child care payment in addition to increases in child benefit in 2001. [24951/00]
The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness contains the commitment that, recognising the progress made in the
negotiations in relation to child care and following a completion process with the social partners, the Government would adopt a strategy to support parents in meeting their child care needs. As part of this completion process, relevant proposals have been put forward by the social partners. These include a proposal from the community and voluntary pillar that child care costs should be addressed by means of a parental child care payment, which would be paid in respect of all families with a child under the age of 14, regardless of whether the parent or parents were in paid employment. The payment would depend on the age of the child, with higher payments for children under five. A similar proposal has also been made to me in a number of pre-budget submissions, including those from the National Women's Council of Ireland and the Childcare 2000 campaign.
All of the options put forward by the social partners in this regard are being studied by the Government in the run up to the budget.
As regards increases in child benefit, in replies to earlier questions today I have set out details of the substantial increases which I have made in child benefit since taking up office. I assure the Deputy that I will continue to increase child benefit substantially, with a priority focus on raising the higher rate to £100 per month, as promised in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
