Vol. 547 No. 1
856 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the regulations in relation to child dependant allowance and child benefit for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 4; and if he will extend child benefit in cases like this while children are still in education. [2294/02]
Child benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. In addition, where a parent is receiving a pension or other long-term payment from my Department, child dependant allowances are paid up to age 22 where the young person remains in full-time education. In the case of short-term payments, child dependant allowances are currently only paid up to the age of 18. As a first step towards implementing the PPF commitment to extend these allowances to short-term payments where the child is under 22 and in full-time education, from April 2002, child dependant allowances will be paid to the end of the academic year in which the young person reaches 18.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of a widow's (contributory pension) and child dependant allowances in respect of four children, including a child aged 19 who is currently in full-time education. Child benefit in respect of the child concerned was paid up to and including the month of July 2001, when the child reached 19 years. Extension of child benefit to children aged 19 or over who continue in full-time education would have significant cost implications.
The Deputy will be aware that it has been a priority of this Government to invest heavily in the child benefit scheme since coming into office. Under the three year programme of child benefit increases initiated in the 2001 budget, substantial resources have been dedicated to the scheme. By the time the final phase of increases is paid in 2003, expenditure on the child benefit scheme will have been increased to some 1.9 billion in a full year. Any further extension of the scheme would, therefore, have to be considered in a budgetary context, having regard to available resources and competing priorities.
