Catherine Murphy
Question:1009. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2024 if child benefit were increased by €10 per child per month for the first three children. [37932/23]
View answerMonday, 11 September 2023
Questions (1009)
Written answers
Child Benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their eighteenth birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Estimated expenditure on the scheme will be approximately €2.1 billion in 2023.
The current Child Benefit structure maintains a consistent rate of €140 per child, with variations for cases of twins, triplets, and other multiple births. Implementing an increase for the initial three children would require significant adjustments to the Child Benefit system.
The estimated annual cost of a €10 weekly increase in Child Benefit per child for the first three children is €150 million. Any change to Child Benefit involves significant cost implications, and therefore would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.