Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 436: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way a father can be the parent who receives child benefit in a situation where the mother of the child agrees to this and where the parents live together; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6270/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Child benefit is payable to the person with whom a qualified child normally resides. The detailed rules in relation to 'normal residence' as set out in article 159 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations, 2007. In summary, child benefit is normally payable to the mother (or stepmother). However, where the child is living full-time with the father (or stepfather) only, then child benefit will be payable to the father. Where the parents reside in separate households child benefit is payable to the parent with whom the child resides the majority of the time.

There are very few child benefit claims in payment to the father in situations where the parents live together. (Approx. 40-50) These payments are made in circumstances such as where the mother is terminally ill or is an alcoholic or drug addict. Since June 2008, with the introduction of EIT payments, this is facilitated by issuing a letter to the spouse allowing him to collect the payments at the Post Office using the mother's Social Services Card. He has to produce this letter and the SS card at the Post Office in order to collect the payment. In EFT cases, the spouse would normally have access to the bank account or the mother would agree to transfer the payment to his account.