Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy and formally congratulate him on his election. I look forward to working with him. The newborn baby grant of €280 was announced in budget 2025 and is paid to families of babies born on or after 1 December 2024. This grant is paid alongside, but in addition to, the first month’s child benefit payment of €140. Parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420. The benefit is payable in respect of newborn babies from the month after birth. Parents of children born in one month, therefore, can receive the child benefit payment, including the newborn grant, from the next month onwards. As the newborn baby grant is paid automatically with child benefit payments there is no additional application for the grant, so parents of new babies do not need to do anything to receive it. As the Deputy will be aware, child benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16. Child benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16, 17 and 18 if they are in full-time education, full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. At present, child benefit is in payment to 679,000 families in respect of 1.27 million children with an estimated expenditure of €2.2 billion for 2025.

The first newborn payments issued on 11 February to more than 4,400 people in respect of 4,522 children.

The number of newborn baby grants paid to parents in Carlow is 88 while 104 payments have been made in respect of children from Kilkenny. Nationally, 6,345 people have been paid the newborn baby grant. This corresponds to 6,448 children.

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