Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senators. Child poverty is of great concern to me and to all of us. Different figures arise. There is a famous figure of 66,000 children in poverty in Ireland. The figure varies depending on whatever report one takes heed of. I have also seen substantially larger figures. Whatever the figure is, there is an issue which must be addressed.

Child benefit this year will come to about €1.9 billion. In 2000, which is not that long ago, the figure was €600 million, so that within four or five years there has been a massive investment by the taxpayer in child benefit, which helps substantially in tackling child poverty. I believe it will not on its own eradicate child poverty. That is why we have asked the National Economic and Social Council under the pending child poverty special initiative in Sustaining Progress to undertake an examination of child income arrangements with a view to considering the possibility of a second tier child related payment targeted at low income families, perhaps replacing the family income supplement, child dependent allowances and possibly the back to school, clothing and footwear allowances. During the course of this year I hope to get those proposals from the NESC.

Although I believe child benefit alone will not eradicate child poverty, it is a universal payment. In response to Senator Cox, I know of no proposals or even whispers anywhere regarding means testing or taxing it. It is a universal payment for the benefit of children across the nation and that is the way it will stay. However, the NESC work in this area continues and it is incumbent on us to find a way, when we all repeat the mantra that we must treat all the children of the nation equally, to ensure that children in poverty, arguably 66,000, are treated more equally. We must find a way to ensure additional funds get to them. If that offends the constitutionalists among us, so be it. I would unapologetically try to face them down on that.

The universality of child benefit is an important principle and will remain so, but we must find a way of getting additional income to those 66,000 children, or whatever the figure is, by means of some kind of second tier child benefit payment which would, by definition, not be universal. No doubt one will find people trying to make political capital out of this but it is one we must urgently address. I look forward to the NESC providing some proposals in the area as quickly as it can so that we can target those resources. I wish to reiterate the firm commitment given by the Minister for Finance and me that the child benefit package laid out some years ago will be completed next year.