Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
212. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of making child benefit payable to families with children over 18 years of age who are enrolled in secondary school reflecting the higher educational costs for families with adolescents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39291/18]
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 more than 631,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2018.
Based on Department of Education and Skills figures on the numbers of 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education in 2017, the estimated annual cost of extending the upper age limit to include 18 and 19 year olds in full-time secondary education is in the region of €65 million.
The Deputy’s question indicates no upper age limit and would therefore also include young people of 20 years and above, thus giving rise to costs in excess of this figure.
Given the universal nature of Child Benefit, making it payable in respect of young people over 18 years of age for the duration of their enrolment in second-level education would not be a targeted approach. Any adjustment to the payment can result in benefits being spread very thinly, rather than making a difference where there is most need.
Under EU regulations Child Benefit is defined as a family benefit and is exportable in cases where the claimant is working in Ireland but where the children are living abroad. We have no way of predicting with any degree of accuracy the potential in-flow in this category for young people who turn 18 and remain in second level education in other Member States.
