Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the first payment of the early child care supplement will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11146/06]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the first payment of the early child care supplement will be made; the form of payment this will take; when the second and subsequent payments will be made to eligible parents; the number of eligible parents concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11157/06]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the early child care supplement will be payable to EU nationals living and working here whose children are being cared for in their native countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11158/06]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 134, inclusive, together.

My office has been given responsibility for the early child care supplement which is being introduced with effect from 1 April 2006. The payment, which is non-taxable, will amount to €1,000 per annum and will be made to parents of all eligible children aged less than six years, in quarterly instalments of €250. The supplement will be paid if a child is eligible for any part of a quarter. I understand that officials from my office are putting arrangements in place with the Department of Social and Family Affairs to administer the supplement on its behalf on an agency basis. These arrangements will provide for the supplement to be made to parents in the same way as they receive their child benefit payments. It is expected that the first payment, which would be due in July 2006, will be made in August with the subsequent quarterly payments this year expected to be made in October and December.

The criteria governing eligibility for child benefit will be applied to the early child care supplement. As a result, parents in receipt of child benefit and with children aged less than six years will automatically receive the supplement. More than 350,000 children under the age of six are expected to benefit from the supplement at an estimated cost in 2006 of €265 million rising to more than €350 million in a full year. EU nationals living and working in Ireland are entitled to claim both child benefit and the early child care supplement in respect of their children, regardless of where in the EU/EEA the children reside.

I am advised that the Department will be in contact with parents of eligible children shortly with details of the supplement and how it will be paid to them in the coming months.