John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will stick to the point, as I have so little time. Like other Senators, we would like to discuss many social welfare issues, but I will make a few brief points. First, there should be no change to the FIS. It is working well and is achieving what it set out to do.

Second, I more or less stated on budget day what Ms Mangan and the advisory group have stated, that is, there should be some kind of universal payment that would be supplemented for needy families, to be determined by social welfare officers, community welfare officers or so on. I agree with Senator Barrett, in that there is no need to pay child benefit to people who earn ¤250,000 per year. Indeed, we should be considering a cut-of point of between ¤100,000 and ¤150,000.

Third, I wish to discuss targeted supports for children and how other countries achieve much more with much less. More could be done. I agree with Senator Moloney, who touched on the issue of how child benefit is not used in the right way. Targeting child benefit to needy families whose houses are under threat because of large mortgages is warranted.

I made my fourth point in the Seanad last week. I hope that the Minister can hear me. At some point in the near future, we should consider paying child benefit only to families of five or six children.

There is an argument about cost. There is so much investment in the first five or six children that there is little cost in providing for the needs of children above that number. The issue should be examined seriously.