Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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9. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of the International Monetary Fund's recent comments calling on the Government to consider taxing or means testing social protection payments such as child benefit, if she has discussed these matters with the IMF delegation; if she supports the recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4968/15]

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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As only one minute of Question Time remains, Deputy Creighton, who has tabled the next question, may wish to forego her introduction and allow the Minister to make a brief reply.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As only a short time remains, I will not read out the reply. As I indicated in answer to the previous question, child benefit is a major payment that is made to more than 600,000 families in respect of 1.2 million children at an annual cost of €1.9 billion.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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I am curious to ascertain whether the Minister had any specific engagement with the International Monetary Fund and whether any detailed discussions have taken place on the potential for taxing or means-testing child benefit.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As I pointed out to Deputy Naughten, it is my view that child benefit should be universal payment. It is one of the few universal payments in our social welfare system. All of our research shows that the payment goes directly to the caring parent who is, for the most part, the mother, and is very well spent on children. I do not have any proposals to tax the payment.

I am aware of the discussions to which the Deputy refers. To assist families on social welfare, we are focused on helping parents, whether in one-parent or two-parent households, to engage in education and training and ultimately enter employment as the best route to supporting children out of poverty. At this time and, even more so, during the recession, the cashflow of child benefit on to the household kitchen table has been incredibly important in supporting families with children. The current system is the best way of giving a package of direct cash supports to families who have children.