Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
2025. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; the estimated amount a 50% increase in both the primary school payment of €100 and the secondary school payment of €200 would cost the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27427/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra2077. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the full year estimated cost of restoring the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to the 2011 levels of €305 for children over 12 years of age and to €200 for those under 12 years of age. [28513/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra2118. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider restoring the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to the 2011 level of €305 for children over 12 years of age and €200 for children under 12 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29108/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra2134. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for under 12s to €200 back to 2011 levels and to €305 for over 12s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28990/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2025, 2077, 2118 and 2134 together.
The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The allowance will be paid from mid-July to allow parents sufficient time to prepare for back to school.
The rates of the payment for the 2017 scheme are being increased from €100 to €125 for children aged 4 to 11 and from €200 to €250 for children aged 12 years and over. This brings the total allocation for the allowance this year to €47.4 million, an increase of €10 million on what was originally proposed for 2017.
A 50% increase in the 2016 rates would bring the rates to €150 for children aged 4 to 11 and to €300 for children aged 12 years and over. The annual cost to increase the payments to €150 and €300 from the recently announced 2017 rates would be €10 million over and above the €47.4 million now allocated to the scheme for 2017.
On the same basis, the additional cost of restoring the rates to the 2011 levels, i.e. to €200 for children aged 4 to 11 and to €305 for children aged 12 years and older, would be an additional €18.9 million over and above the €47.4 million now allocated to the scheme for 2017.
In addition to the increases in the rates for 2017, the household income limits for the scheme have also been increased to ensure that increases in social welfare announced in Budget 2017 will not affect people’s entitlement to the allowance.
Any further changes to the rates of the allowance would have to be considered within a budgetary context and the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements.
The Deputies may be aware that my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, has recently published a new circular on the measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs, as part of a range of measures to take greater account of the needs of parents and students in the school system.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
