Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Tá luachair orm bheith ar ais arís sa Seanad le Bille eile a chur os a chomhair. I am pleased to bring the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003 before Seanad Éireann. This is the second of two Bills to implement the €530 million social welfare package of budget 2003 which, for the first time, brings the projected level of social welfare expenditure in 2003 to over €10 billion. Senators will recall that a separate Bill was enacted in December last to give effect to the increases in weekly social welfare payments from the beginning of January. This Bill implements a number of key improvements in social welfare schemes such as increases in child benefit, improvements in the carer's respite care grant and the extension of the payment of increases in respect of qualified children as announced in the budget, in addition to a range of other measures.

I am proud that the Government continues its commitment to building an inclusive society as reiterated in the programme for Government in June 2002. Tangible evidence of delivering on this commitment includes: a massive increase in spending on social welfare from the equivalent of €5.7 billion in 1997 to over €10 billion this year; significant increases in child benefit rates resulting in the rates of payment being more than three times that payable in 1997; and real increases in social welfare pensions with old age contributory pensioners now receiving €157.30 per week compared to the equivalent of €99 in 1997.

I wish to outline the provisions contained in the Bill. As Senators will already have considered it in detail, I will focus on a number of key provisions. Child benefit is a universal payment made directly to families and as such is the most efficient and effective way in which the Government can channel support to children. The rate for the first two children is being increased by €8 per month and for third and subsequent children by €10 per month. These increases, provided under section 3, will bring the monthly rates to €125.60 and €157.30 respectively. From April next, a family with three children will receive €408.50 compared to €382.50 at present – an increase of €26 per month.

These increases will mean that, since the year 2000, child benefit rates will have risen by €71.64 per month for each of the first two children and by €86.20 per month for third and subsequent children. These measures will mark the beginning of the final phase of the child benefit investment package initiated in budget 2001 which, on completion, will see Government investment in the scheme rise by an additional €1.27 billion annually. An estimated 530,000 families with over one million children will benefit from these increases in 2003.

Furthermore, in supporting the ongoing programme of modernisation in the General Registry Office and to improve service delivery to customers, section 11 allows for certain awards of child benefit to be made in defined circumstances without recourse to a deciding officer. This provision will facilitate the automation of payments of child benefit for second and subsequent children where a claim is already in payment.

The Government, over successive budgets, has introduced measures to develop the types of services and supports which provide practical assistance for carers. In section 4 we continue to honour our commitment to supporting the valuable work undertaken by carers by increasing the respite care grant by €100, from €635 to €735, with carers looking after more than one person receiving a grant of €1,470 – an increase of €200. These increases take effect from June next. This measure, which is highly valued by carers, will benefit 24,700 carers and cost an additional €2.5 million per annum.