Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As I stated, child benefit is an important support, particularly for parents. It is paid to the caring parent. There is strong recognition in Ireland that it is an important payment to families because we do not recognise children in the tax system in terms of tax allowances. Child benefit accounts for a sum of €2 billion. Family income supplement accounts for another €200 million, while qualified child allowances amount to €700 million.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowances amount to €63 million. That is a total spend of €3 billion on child and family income supports. The purpose of the review group is to determine how we can best use that funding to maintain support for families and how we can target it in a way that produces better outcomes for children who may be at risk of poverty. I am conscious, because of what Deputy O'Dea's party did to this country, that there are many families for whom child benefit is an important part of family income.

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