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Child Benefit Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 October 2014

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Ceisteanna (11, 12, 13)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

11. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of children in the State in respect of whom child benefit is not being paid. [39457/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

12. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of children in respect of whom an application for child benefit has been made but who have failed the habitual residence condition test. [39458/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

13. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of children in the State whose child benefit ceased because a parent emigrated to work in a country covered by EU regulations governing child benefit. [39459/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 13, inclusive, together.

Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty. The estimated expenditure on child benefit in 2014 is around €1.9 billion and it is currently paid to around 613,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children. The Department does not have information on the number of children for whom child benefit is not being paid, as this would include cases where benefit has been refused but also cases where parents may not have claimed child benefit.

Information held on the number of child benefit claims which have been disallowed as a result of failure to satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition is limited. In 2013 a total of 745 claims (12.7%) were disallowed on this ground, with 444 (9.2%) disallowed in 2014 to date. However, these figures may include cases where subsequent applications from the same customer have been successful.

Under EU Regulations, the country of employment pays family benefits even though the family may reside in another EU Member State (Articles 11.3(a) and 67 of EU Regulation 883/04 refer). If both parents are employed in different EU Member States, the country where the children reside is competent to pay family benefits. In such cases the second Member State may have to make a supplement payment if the family benefit in that State is higher than the amount awarded by the primary competent State.

There are currently 446 claims, involving 879 children, where a supplement based on residency is being paid. This supplement is paid for any case where at least one parent is employed in another EU Member State. The rate paid is the differential rate and therefore includes families who have immigrated to Ireland. Child benefit does not cease to be paid unless the rate in the other Member State is higher than in Ireland. The Department does not hold any statistics on the number of claims that may have ceased due to a parent emigrating to work in another EU Member State.

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