Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I am not dependent exclusively on the NESC report in this regard but it is an important and valuable piece of work. I do not yet have the report from the NESC. I am aware it has to consider some drafts internally at the next meeting of the National Economic and Social Council. As I said in my reply, the policy in this regard will be very much informed by the proposals from NESC. Having said that, it was specifically asked to examine, and I understand it is very much in favour of, some form of an amalgamation of the child dependant allowance and the family income supplement and to target that at that lower level.

The Deputy asked whether the people involved might have to wait another year. It does not rule out the Minister for Finance or myself examining in the budgetary context CDA, FIS and back to school clothing and footwear allowance rates, the three major instruments which attack child poverty, which we will do. It may be that we can make some progress towards a second tier while we await the full report from the NESC.

As the Deputy is aware, I have instructed all offices to promote FIS in terms of bringing its availability to the attention of the appropriate people. A total of 15,800 families currently receive a weekly payment, which is to the benefit of 31,186 children. I have asked all our outlets throughout the country to promote FIS to a greater extent, and we had a number of mail-shots on it.

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