There is no application process for Early Childcare Supplement (ECS). The Early Childcare Supplement will be paid in respect of those qualified children who receive Child Benefit from my Department.
Currently Child Benefit is in payment to 737 non resident families for 1332 children. Of these, 481 children are under 6 years and would qualify for ECS. The detailed statistics are as follows.
Country
|
Number of Families
|
Number of Children
|
Number of Children under 6
|
UK
|
687
|
1238
|
449
|
Sweden
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
Spain
|
7
|
8
|
1
|
Belgium
|
4
|
10
|
5
|
Austria
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
France
|
15
|
23
|
10
|
Netherlands
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
Poland
|
10
|
23
|
4
|
Greece
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Germany
|
3
|
8
|
3
|
Italy
|
2
|
8
|
3
|
Portugal
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
Switzerland
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
Total
|
737
|
1,332
|
481
|
The cost of ECS for non resident children currently in receipt of Child Benefit in 2006 is approximately €105,000. The cost of ECS payments to these children in 2007 is estimated at €420,000. My Department acts as agent for the office of the Minister for Children in this regard.
There are approximately 8,500 Child Benefit claims on hand yet to be processed. The majority of these claims (almost 90%) are from Polish nationals working in Ireland but whose family reside in Poland.
In recent weeks when processing such claims it has been found that a significant number of customers have either left Ireland or have had their families join them here. As a result they will either be paid under domestic legislation or will only qualify for the payment of Child Benefit and ECS for the period of their employment in Ireland. It is too early yet to accurately establish the extent of this development, but it will influence the overall amounts of benefit payable for non resident children.