Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 343: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the National Economic and Social Council is expected to report to him on examining the feasibility of merging the family income supplement with the qualified child increase; if they are examining including other child supports; when this report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22722/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of an earlier Social Partnership agreement the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) was asked to examine the feasibility of merging the family income supplement with qualified child increases and possibly including other child supports such as the back to school clothing and footwear allowance, resulting in a single second tier child income support. Such a payment would be aimed specifically at targeting child poverty by channelling resources to low-income families without creating significant disincentives to employment. This commitment to examining such a change was subsequently embodied in the current social partnership agreement 'Toward 2016'.

NESC research on the subject is expected to be available soon. The council has indicated that, as the proposed second tier income support would represent a new approach to targeting, the issues involved are complex and there are technical and policy challenges to be overcome. The Council's analysis of these issues will, when received, be of assistance in informing the future direction of child income support policy.

€2.6 billion was spent by my Department on child income supports in 2006, with child benefit accounting for approximately 80% of this figure. The substantial improvements in targeted measures announced in Budget 2007 for children in low income and welfare families will also have an important impact on child poverty.

For instance, family income supplement thresholds were raised in Budget 2007, increasing the weekly payments of almost all existing FIS recipients by €9 for a one child family, to €111 for a family with eight or more children. Research has shown that poverty is more likely to be concentrated in larger families and this improvement continues the re-focusing of thresholds towards larger families which started in Budget 2006, thereby further targeting resources at low-income households.

In Budget 2007 all three qualified child increase rates which had remained unchanged since 1994, were increased to a single rate of €22 per week. In addition, the annual back to school clothing and footwear allowance, which provides income support for the poorest families at a particularly difficult time of the year, was increased by €60 for children aged 2 to 11, and by €95 for children aged 12 to 22, bringing the rates of payment to €180 and €285 respectively.

While jobs are the most effective way of lifting families and their children out of poverty, these changes represent a more selective approach to child income support through targeting children in poorer households while at the same time limiting the extent to which employment incentives are worsened.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the work completed to date by the steering committee on the back to education allowance; the work that has yet to be completed; when completion is expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22723/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the Government Expenditure Review Programme a working group chaired by my Department was established to review the expenditure under the back to education allowance scheme. The Group comprised representatives of the Departments of Social & Family Affairs, Enterprise Trade and Employment, Education and Science, Finance and FÁS. The report of the working group was published in September 2005.

The working group made nine recommendations with regard to the future administration of the back to education allowance scheme. The main recommendations of the group focused on the separating out of the roles of my Department, which provides income support, and Department of Education and Science which provides for the delivery of courses and educational supports.

In January 2006 a group with representatives from the Departments, Education and Science, Finance and FÁS was established to implement the recommendations of the Expenditure Review. This group is working on an ongoing basis to progress the implementation of the recommendations. It is intended that the work of the group will be completed for the 2009 academic year.

A number of the recommendations of the Working Group have been achieved. These include earlier access to the allowance for participants of the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) — access is now available for qualified participants who have been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance for nine months as opposed to a requirement for twelve months previously. Additionally the scheme has been extended to include all those of working age in receipt of a Social Welfare payment.