Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money being paid by his Department on child benefit for children not resident here; the way this figure is distributed between nationalities in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41507/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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EU Migrant workers may have an entitlement to child benefit and other "family benefits" under EU Regulations 883/04 and 987/09. Where a national of an EU state is working in Ireland, he/she is entitled to payment of these benefits when his/her children are resident in the worker's home country. The Regulations co-ordinate social security systems and are designed to ensure that people are not disadvantaged by moving within the EU to take up work.

Child Benefit is currently in payment to a total of 4,975 customers in respect of 7,965 children resident in seventeen EU countries. A breakdown of these customers by country is not readily available. The estimated total cost for 2010 is €14.3million, which represents less than 1% of the total Child Benefit expenditure. This equates to approximately €1.2 million per month.