Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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87. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of new baby grants that have been made to parents in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8460/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle sa ról nua atá aige agus leis an Aire chomh maith. Ba mhaith liom fiafraí den Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí cé mhéid deontas de naíonáin nuabheirthe atá tugtha anois do thuismitheoirí i gContae Chill Dara agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ar an ábhar. How many newborn baby grants have been made to parents in Kildare and will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a bheith tofa agus ar a leanbh nua i gCill Dara. Comhghairdeas leis féin agus lena bhean chéile agus guím gach rath orthu.

A newborn baby grant of €280 was announced in last year's budget to be 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, so parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420. This increased payment during the first month is an important recognition of the additional costs that accompany the birth of a child.

The benefit is payable in respect of newborn babies from the month after birth. Parents of children born in one month can, therefore, receive the child benefit payment, including the newborn baby grant, from the next month onwards. Given that the newborn baby grant is paid automatically with child benefit payments, there is no additional application for the grant. Therefore, parents of newborns do not need to do anything extra to receive the grant.

Child benefit, as the Deputy may be aware, is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16, 17 or 18 if they are in full-time education or 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 payments for newborns issued on 11 February to more than 4,400 customers in respect of 4,522 children. These included 329 payments for County Kildare. To date, 6,345 customers have been paid the newborn baby grant in respect of 6,448 children. I congratulate all our new parents and wish them health and happiness on their journey.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Naturally, I welcome the grant. In the programme for Government, there are a number of very good commitments for families and young children and this grant, for example, goes a long way towards helping with the costs that come with having a newborn. There is talk in the document of examining the extension of parent's leave and benefit and providing additional flexibility. I ask that consideration also be given to that leave in the Houses of the Oireachtas. No formal paternity leave is granted to TDs and Senators and that is something we should look at in a modern Parliament to reflect what happens in wider society.

Separately, while I understand this is not directly part of the Minister's brief, childcare remains a major hurdle. We are going a long way as a Government towards assisting with the cost of childcare but access continues to be an issue. These are combined issues for new families and parents.

I welcome the level of work the Government and the Department in particular are doing.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. As I look around, I think that, apart from the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am the longest serving Deputy in this House, and on every day of those 18 years, I have heard references to trying to make ours a family-friendly Oireachtas, although we seem to be going further away from that. Even so, a lot of work has been done in respect of parental leave for Members of the Oireachtas and that should be continued during this term. I see that Deputy O'Gorman is in the Chamber, and I acknowledge his support for the newborn baby grant in the previous Government. That was something on which both he and my predecessor, Heather Humphreys, led out. It is to acknowledge that at what is a very happy time, there is also additional expense, and we have tried to make it as easy as possible for parents to access this payment at what is a very busy time in their lives.

On childcare, there are commitments in the programme for Government, on which the Minister, Deputy Foley, will be leading out, to improve access to it and to improve supports for parents as they rear their children and get through the early stages of their child's life. That is certainly something she will lead out on.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I also commend the fact the new baby grant is made automatically with the child benefit payment, without the need for an additional application.