Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
1629. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of increasing child benefit by amounts (details supplied), in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1236/18]
View answerChild Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 627,432 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2018.
The estimated full year cost of increasing Child Benefit from its current rate of €140 per month by €5, €10, €15, €20 and €25 in 2018 as follows:
|
Increase |
Estimated Additional Full Year Cost |
|
€5 |
€71.8m |
|
€10 |
€143.7m |
|
€15 |
€215.6m |
|
€20 |
€287.5m |
|
€25 |
€359.4m |
Given that Child Benefit is a universal payment this would not be a targeted approach. As can be seen from the figures provided such increases would have very significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
