Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on increasing the payments given for guardians payment in view of the additional costs incurred by relatives who have to look after the young children of drug addicts. [8677/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Guardians' payment schemes currently allow for the provision of a weekly allowance to a guardian of a child who has either been orphaned or whose parents have abandoned and failed to provide for the child. The child must live with the claimant and they must be responsible for his or her care. The payment must benefit the child.

The current weekly rate of Guardians' payment is €169 per child. Any increase in this rate would have to be considered in a budgetary context.