Written answers
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Social Welfare Benefits
12:00 pm
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 652: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number and value of child benefit payments made to children resident outside of the State since 2004 to date in 2009; the average time it takes to process these payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29902/09]
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 653: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the changes made to the rate and duration of the early child care supplement since its inception; the date such changes were announced; the date such changes were introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29903/09]
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 654: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number and value of early child care supplement payment made per year since its inception; the number and value of early child care supplement payments made to children resident outside of the State since its inception; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29904/09]
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 655: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated full year cost of the early child care supplement in 2009; the estimated number of children eligible for the early child care supplement in 2009;the estimated number and value of payments made to children not resident here in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29905/09]
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 656: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of outstanding early child care supplement applications waiting to be processed; the average time it takes to process payments, particularly for applications relating to children not resident here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29906/09]
Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context
I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 to 656, inclusive, together. Child Benefit
The number and value of Child Benefit payments made to children resident outside the State from 2004 to date is as detailed in Table 1.
EU Migrant workers have an entitlement to Child Benefit and other "Family benefits" under EU Regulation 1408/71. Where a national of an EU state with a family is working in Ireland, the worker is entitled to payment of such benefits, even if the children of the worker are resident in the worker's home country. The average time taken to process these payments is currently three months. Table 1
| CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENT IN RESPECT OF NON-RESIDENT CHILDREN2004-2009 |
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | July 2009 | |
| NUMBER OF NON RESIDENT CHILDREN | 806 | 725 | 1444 | 4311 | 9909 | 11517 |
| TOTAL COST | €0.7m | €1.6m | €2.9m | €4.77m | €20.9m* | €22.1m(est.d for a full year) |
*The significantly increased expenditure in 2008 was largely a result of a major backlog of applications being approved that year.
Early Childcare Supplement
The Early Childcare Supplement was introduced in April 2006 and is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Changes made to the rate and duration of this payment since its inception is as detailed in Table 2. Table 2
| EARLY CHILDCARE SUPPLEMENTCHANGES SINCE INCEPTION |
| Changes | Date of announcement | Date of introduction | Details |
| ECS first Introduced | December 2005 (Budget 2006) | April 2006 | €250 payable quarterly for children up to age six |
| Rate increased | December 2007(Budget 2008) | January 2008 | Increased to €275 quarterly |
| Payment frequency changed. Age limit decreased | October 2008(Budget 2009) | January 2009 | Payable monthly in arrears andage limit decreased to age five and a half |
| Rate decreased.Age limit decreased | February 2009 (Supplementary Budget) | March 2009 | Rate decreased to €83 per month and age limit decreased to age five |
| Rate decreased | April 09(Supplementary Budget) | May 2009 | Rate decreased to €41.50 |
| Payment to cease | April 09(Supplementary Budget) | December 2009 | Last payment will be made in December 2009 |
The number and value of Early Childcare Supplements made per annum since its inception is as detailed in Table 3 .
Table 3
| NUMBER AND VALUE OF EARLY CHILDCARE SUPPLEMENT PAYMENTS SINCE INCEPTION |
| Year | Average number of children | Value of payments | Average number of payments in respect of non-resident children | Total value of payments in respect of non-resident children |
| 2006 | 367,296 | €292m | 536 | €0.4m |
| 2007 | 382,182 | €417m | 1724 | €1.1m |
| 2008 | 398,667 | €477m | 3468 | €4.5m |
| 2009 (estd. for full year) | 340,000 | €231m | 4030 | €2.7m |
Early Childcare Supplement is a payment associated with the payment of Child Benefit. As such, no separate application process exists for the payment. Payment is automatically awarded in respect of eligible children.
The number of outstanding Child Benefit applications to be processed under EU Regulations is currently 3273. Of these, 3129 have been partially processed and are awaiting further information.
The number of outstanding resident Child Benefit applications is currently 858. Of these, 833 have been partially processed and are awaiting further information.
The average time taken to process payments is four weeks in respect of children born in Ireland and three months for children who are not resident in Ireland.
No comments