Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is something the Deputy was very keen for me to improve upon. Child benefit is one of the few tools at my disposal that I can use to support working families. As part of recent budgets, I prioritised the double payments and the lump sum payment on child benefit. As the Deputy noted, children are starting school later. Most children do not start school until they are five and then they do transition year so they are well into 18 before they are finished. I was talking to a woman the other day who told me that she uses child benefit to pay for the grinds for her daughter for the leaving certificate and she was delighted with the change. She is a working mother like most mothers and I am delighted that we were able to give her that bit of help. That is important too. We will have it ready for May and I am glad to be able to do that.

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