Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to raise the level of income support for families with children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23185/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The query referred to by the Deputy asks whether the Government has any plans to raise the level of income support for families with children in the context of a named person's concerns that it is necessary for the Government to make efforts to support middle income families with children and to make efforts to support families with the cost of child-care.

The Department of Social Protection makes a number of payments to families with children including child benefit, qualified child increases to primary social welfare payments (QCIs), family income supplement (FIS), and the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. These family and child income support payments both assist parents in contributing to the costs associated with raising children and play a very important role in the objective of reducing child poverty. The Government is conscious that these payments are an important source of income for all families, particularly during a time of recession and unemployment. Decisions on the rates for these family and child income support payments are a matter to be decided in a budgetary context.

The issue of family and child income supports is currently being examined by the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, which was established in June. The Group has been tasked with recommending cost-effective solutions as to how employment disincentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes achieved, particularly child poverty outcomes.

Child-care issues are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.