Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

1701 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if child benefit is available for children up to the age of 22 years who are completing an apprenticeship training course; and if not, her plans to extend the child benefit scheme to cover same. [16299/02]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

1703 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will include children who are doing apprenticeship courses as dependants for the family income supplement assessment. [16303/02]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1701 and 1703 together.

Child benefit is payable in respect of all children up to 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to 19 years of age who are in full-time education or who have a physical or mental disability.

The FIS scheme is designed to provide an incentive for low paid workers with families to take up or remain in full-time employment. It provides a weekly payment related to income and family size. In order to quality a child must be under 18 years or, if in full-time education, aged between 18 and 22 years.

Regulations prescribe the circumstances which determine whether a child may be regarded as receiving full-time education. Under these regulations a child must be attending, on a full-time basis, a course of full-time instruction by day at an institute of education.

Each year of an apprenticeship consists of a combination of paid employment plus block release during which a training allowance is paid by FÁS. These periods are not regarded as periods of full-time education for the purpose of child benefit or FIS.

There are no plans to extend the qualification criteria to include periods of apprenticeship. Any further extension of CB or the payment of the child dependent increase would have to be considered in the light of available resources and overall priorities.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

1702 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and payment made of disability allowance. [16302/02]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan):

The person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 14 August at €127.20 per week. Payment of this allowance commenced from 2 October at her local post office. All arrears due to her have also been paid.

Question No. 1703 answered with Question No. 1701.