Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are determined that economic recovery should be and will be accompanied by social recovery. Getting people back to work remains this Government’s number one priority. A new back-to-work family dividend will be introduced to provide an additional incentive for families to move from welfare to work. This will allow families to retain the full qualified child increase of €29.80 per week per child for 12 months after their return to work and 50% of the payment in the second year.

This Government succeeded in protecting basic social welfare rates in the last three budgets during the most difficult times. Now that recovery is taking hold, I believe it is important that the limited scope we have is used to alleviate the pressures faced by those most under pressure in our society. I am pleased to announce that we will increase the rate of child benefit by €5 per child from January next.

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