Vol. 534 No. 3
41 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will allow students over 19 years of age in second level education to continue to qualify for child benefit payments until they complete the leaving certificate; the projected cost of such a provision in one full year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10525/01]
Child benefit is a universal payment payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education or who have a physical or mental disability. In addition, where a parent receives a pension or other long-term payment from my Department, child dependant allowances are paid up to the age of 22 where the young person remains in full-time education. In the case of short-term payments, CDAs are only paid up to the age of 18. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the Government is committed in the lifetime of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to extending child dependant allowances to all social welfare recipients where the child is under 22 and in full-time education.
Entitlement to child benefit has always been focused on age. The Deputy's proposal would effectively entail the abolition of the age condition for entitlement to child benefit in the case of students who are still in second level education and who have not yet completed the leaving certificate. This could give rise to certain anomalies. First, a measure of this kind would raise equity issues with regard to third level students and students with a disability in first level education in the same cohort who would not be eligible for CB on reaching 19. Second, any person in second level education pursuing a course up to leaving certificate level, including those who return to education as mature students, would become eligible for CB payments. Third, students already receiving payments in their own right under the back to education allowance programme or the vocational training opportunities scheme could become eligible for CB in the absence of an age condition.
I emphasise that any further improvements in the CB scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context in the light of available resources and existing commitments for the future development of the scheme. It is estimated that it would cost some £5.2 million in a full year to provide for the continued payment of child benefit to second level students only until they had completed the leaving certificate.
Does the Minister not agree it is the same cost on parents regardless of whether the person doing the leaving certificate is under or over 19? Is he aware that, according to figures from the Department of Education and Science, just 863 students are in this position? Does he not agree it is a simple matter of raising the age to include these people who continue in second level to sit their leaving certificate examination? Does he also not agree that his assertions regarding inequity do not stand up because many third level students are in receipt of grants and other payments as are people in second level engaged in advanced studies whereas the people in question are sitting the leaving certificate and do not receive any support from the—
A question, please.
Does the Minister not agree these people do not receive any support from the State and, in many cases, are forced to leave school before the leaving certificate or to take on work which affects their studies?
The figures I gave are based on the total figure of children between 18 and 21 in the senior and post-leaving certificate cycle, which we estimate to be 44,000. On the basis that almost 90% of students will have left the senior cycle before reaching 19, the number likely to benefit in the event of child benefit continuing to be payable until the completion of the leaving certificate is estimated to be about 6,500. It is on that we based the figure of £5.2 million. While it appears easy to implement, the Deputy's suggestion of abolishing the age qualification raises huge issues concerning equity between those in second and third levels and mature students. There is no system of child benefit payments in Europe for which the age condition has been abolished.
Will the Minister speak to his colleague in the Department of Education and Science who told me last week that 863 students aged over 19 were involved?
A question, please. It is not appropriate to quote.
Will the Minister speak to his colleague in the Department of Education and Science to get his figures correct? Will he make an effort to assist these students and their parents who are under severe stress and stop placing obstacles in their way? It is an easy matter.
I can give a breakdown of figures received from the Department of Education and Science. They do not include numbers availing of courses under Youthreach or the vocational training opportunities scheme. There are 16,990 people aged 18 in the senior cycle and 7,277 in the post-leaving certificate cycle. There are 1,561 aged 19 in the senior cycle and 5,981 in the post-leaving certificate cycle. There are 207 aged 20 in the senior cycle—
The question is about those sitting the leaving certificate.
—and 3,044 in the post-leaving certificate cycle.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
