Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their presentations. Child benefit is a universal payment. Notwithstanding the fact that there have been cuts to this payment, some of which could not be borne by certain families, the simple fact is that not all children are equal. Where does Ms Ward stand with regard to the universality of the payment? Should child benefit be taxed in the case of wealthier families? Would this have a direct impact on the children involved, even though they come from such families?

I could not agree more with Ms Ward regarding the back to school allowance. Those who are genuine in accessing this payment are down to pennies. It is not a case that they have pounds and shilling left. There is a real need - the Minister for Education and Skills has been trying to take action in this regard - to question the level of common sense displayed by schools. Some schools continue to oblige parents to spend €40 or €50 on tracksuits for children as young as six and seven. Those children might wear their tracksuits for 15 minutes of PE per week. The €40 to €50 to which I refer is additional to the money the parents are obliged to pay for school uniforms. It is bizarre. I would not care if we had money coming out of our ears. This should not be happening and it should be questioned.

I am scared that Ms Ward referred to the fact that the budget for the new child and family agency might be cut. Why is she of this view? Is it because everything else has been cut or is there another reason for her concern?

We all hope that the youth guarantee scheme will have a positive impact. Mr. Doorley referred to an amount of €20 million. Is there a specific strand he would like to see developed in respect of the scheme and, if so, will he describe it?