Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of newborn baby grants that have been made to parents in both counties Kilkenny and Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7937/25]

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Minister on his new role. I look forward to working with him for the betterment of the civilians throughout the country. My question is on a similar theme to other speakers relating to the number of children who have benefited from the newborn baby grant in the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It is really important to give credit where credit is due. In my constituency, almost 200 families have benefited from the newborn baby grant. It is a fantastic initiative that is to be welcomed. I am thrilled the Minister said that it is here to stay. I absolutely welcome that. As he will know, there are substantial additional costs when starting a family. Unfortunately, my days of starting families are over - my youngest is ten years of age - so I will not be in a position to personally benefit from it but, in fairness, hundreds of families around the country will. It is a fantastic initiative. Considering the popularity of the newborn baby grant when people are starting their families, could we look at the once-off payment of a lump sum for those coming towards the end of child benefit? There are an awful lot of costs when children are starting college and so on. While it is fantastic that we are looking after those people who are starting families, in the context of budget 2026, could we look at some kind of bonus payment when people are coming to the very end of their child benefit?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The introduction of this payment is a highly popular initiative of the Department. Unfortunately, we cannot backdate payments ten years or longer in these cases. On the question of a potential payment at the other end of the spectrum, we are certainly open to any suggestions in the context of the budget, although that process will not get under way for a while. We have made changes in respect of child benefit in recent years. As I have said, these changes relate particularly to children who are in full-time education. The payment used to be cut off at the age of 18 regardless of where you were. We have made some changes there. We recognise that end of the spectrum is particularly challenging and expensive for parents. Supports are available there. As I previously said to Deputy O'Gorman, I am very focused on the area of child poverty and how the child benefit payment interacts with existing payments. It is something I intend to do a lot of work on during my time in this Ministry.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Minister's comments and note his commitment to this issue, which is most welcome. I know committees have not been set up yet, which is a little frustrating, but when they are set up, the committee on social protection can examine this. The double payment of child benefit, which is separate from the baby grant, has been really welcome in recent years. However, monthly costs are increasing. The cost-of-living crisis is still there and people are still struggling every month. Again in the context of budget 2026, could we look at the possibility of additional monthly payments instead of or in addition to the double payment, if finances allow?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Again, we will look at all issues and proposals in the context of budget 2026, which will be delivered later this year. At the moment, our priority is to get these payments out and to get work on child poverty very much under way within the Department in the context of programme for Government commitments. We are looking at targeted child benefit payments and how these would interact with existing payments. We are looking at work that has been done by the ESRI, the NESC and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare and how a new child benefit payment might interact with the working family payment, which is also available for people facing any kind of income pressure, and the child support payment. That will be looked at as part of a broader examination of the design of the new targeted child benefit payment. Right across government, we are very focused on child poverty; it is not just the Department of Social Protection. We are asking all other Departments that engage in this space to come to the table with proposals as to how we can work collectively to assist children in poverty.