Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he is aware of the fact that when custody is split between two separated or divorced co-parents, there is no mechanism by which both co-parents may each receive half of the children's allowance and the children's allowance instead universally goes to the mother regardless of circumstances; if he is aware of the financial hardship this can incur on fathers who co-parent equally; his plans to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50385/25]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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I want it to be clear before I put this question that I understand completely why the default is that child benefit goes to the mother. I absolutely respect that. I appreciate where it comes from. However, increasingly I have people coming into my office and contacting my office here in the Dáil to say that they are co-parents, children are not cheap, they split the bills 50:50 and they have access. In some instances, there can be an informal arrangement, but that is not always possible. I wonder if the Minister has given any consideration to how this can be split in a 50:50 co-parenting situation.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. As we discussed offline yesterday, it would be good to start a conversation in this space and it might be something that the social protection committee could look at.

Child benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. It is currently paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children. Child benefit is paid to the person with whom the child normally resides. Where a child spends time across two households, they are considered to reside in the household where they spend the majority of the time.

Legislation does not provide for splitting the payment between both parents, even in instances where the child splits their time evenly between both households. In cases where the parents have an equal custody arrangement, the payment is traditionally awarded to the mother. There are a number of reasons that this policy position has been maintained. First, various international studies have found that, on average, when the child benefit payment is made to the mother, it results in more money spent on the child than when it is paid to the father. For example, a 2017 article published in the International Tax and Public Finance journal found that more money is spent on food when the mother is in control of child benefits compared to when it is jointly controlled. Similarly, researchers found that when the United Kingdom replaced the family allowance payment to the father with a children's allowance to the mother, it resulted in greater spending on children's clothing.

Second, Safe Ireland, which works with more than 40 specialist domestic violence member organisations across the country, has pointed out that domestic violence, which is overwhelmingly experienced by women, often includes economic abuse and that control of household income can be one of the ways in which this type of abuse manifests itself. Many would argue that directing the child benefit payment to the mother can act to mitigate the impact of this kind of abuse. Finally, in split custody arrangements, it would be challenging to split the payment proportionately on a case-by-case basis. However, this is something that we need to engage with more.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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I think so. I respect the reply that the Minister has given and I do not disagree necessarily. However, there are instances increasingly where parents can demonstrate, either with a mandate from the court or, indeed, with an informal arrangement, that they split the custody, the care and, more importantly, the bills - as I said, children are not cheap - 50:50. There is an unfairness there. The reasons child benefit goes mostly to the mother are obvious. I absolutely respect those, but we need to start that conversation to encompass the fact that, increasingly, it is 50:50. The regulations state that the benefit goes to the place where the child resides mostly but when it is 50:50, the child is in both and it could equally be one or the other. We both know that children who grow up in lone-parent houses at more at risk of poverty. Therefore, there is scope for us to look at that. I will engage with the Chair of the social protection committee and I would be grateful if the Department would assist us in our work on that.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Absolutely. It is definitely worth an engagement and an analysis. My Department would be more than happy to engage in a conversation around the international experience and the international data, but also engage with the organisations in this space for their expertise on that. Certainly, the Department officials will engage. I look forward to seeing that engagement and I will work with the Deputy in relation to it.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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That is a sensible suggestion and one that I will take on board. I welcome the fact that the Minister is not opposed or hostile to the notion that we can look at it. I am not sure exactly what can be done but a conversation on this would be worthwhile at committee. I will engage with the committee Chair and with the Department.