Vol. 541 No. 2
795 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if the same rate of child benefit will be paid to parents of twins as that given to the parents of triplets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21538/01]
Prior to the introduction of the Social Welfare Act, 1998, child benefit was payable at double the normal rate for each child where three or more children were born together. In the case of twins, child benefit 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 four and 12.
In fulfilment of our pre-election commitments, I introduced two key additional measures in the Social Welfare Act, 1998, designed to improve the overall package of benefits available to parents of multiple births. First, the rate of child benefit payable in respect of twins was increased to 150% of the normal child benefit rate. Second, the £500 grants, which previously were confined to families with twins, were extended to include also families with multiple births of three or more children. Both these measures took effect in September 1998 at a full year cost of some £4.8 million.
The enhanced child benefit rates payable in the case of twins and other multiple births, give an appropriate level of recognition within the child benefit scheme of the special nature of such births and the additional costs associated with them and fully implement the commitment made in this regard. The Deputy will be aware that it has been a priority of this Government to invest heavily in the child benefit scheme as a means of easing the financial burden of rearing children. The very significant increases in child benefit rates provided for in budget 2001, which raised the level for the first two children by £25 per month and for the third and subsequent children by £30 per month, came into effect in June.
Total expenditure on child benefit is now over £900 million per year. Moreover, the Government is committed to delivering similar increases in the next two budgets, bringing investment in the scheme up to a total of some £1.5 billion in a full year by 2003. By then the additional annual cost of providing for double child benefit payments for twins would be an estimated £19.5 million. The question of providing any further enhancement of the arrangements for twins under the child benefit scheme is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context, in the light of the resources available and other competing priorities.
