The Early Childcare Supplement is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The total expenditure on the Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) for 2007, in respect of non resident children, payable under EU regulations, was €1.1 million. The corresponding figure for 2008 was €4.5 million. The total overall expenditure on the ECS scheme in 2007 was €417 million and in 2008 was €477 million.
Family Benefits payable under EU regulations apply to Irish nationals working in other EU member states in the same way as they do to non-Irish-national EU workers in Ireland.