Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of children in respect of which child benefit is currently paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36847/11]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of children in respect of which the increase for a qualified dependent child is paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36848/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.

Increases in primary weekly social welfare payments are currently paid in respect of 490,157 qualified children. About three quarters of these increases are paid at full rate, in respect of 366,944 children, while the remaining 123,213 are paid at half rate. Payment of qualified child increases is made at half-rate, that is €14.90 per week, in cases where a claimant's spouse or partner has income above certain thresholds or where both of the child's parents are in receipt of a personal rate social welfare payment in their own right, in which circumstance each parent may receive a half-rate qualified child increase. Child benefit is currently paid in respect of 600,030 families and 1,142,728 children. All figures quoted are as at end October 2011.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of welfare customers in receipt of a FÁS training allowance or community employment allowance in addition to their basic payment; the amount that would be saved from discontinuing this practice for new and existing customers, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36849/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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From 1st January 2011 policy and funding responsibility for FÁS functions in relation to employment and community employment services was transferred to this Department in accordance with the provisions of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011. Responsibility for FÁS training programmes rests with the Minister for Education and Skills.

The payment rates on community employment (CE) are related to the underlying value of certain social protection payments plus €20 per week. In addition, a participant may be eligible, where appropriate, for payments in respect of any qualified dependant adult and children. In the case of some categories of social protection payments, earnings from CE or from work will be taken into account in determining the value of the social protection payment retained. Secondary benefits are protected during a participant's engagement on CE with individual circumstances taken into account in determining continuing eligibility.

Details for each social protection payment are summarised in the table. I have indicated that I wish to consider the operation of CE and other employment support initiatives with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of these in progressing people back to work or to further training or education. With respect to the detailed information requested by the Deputy, I have been informed that following an examination by FÁS and the Department that this data could not be compiled and verified in the time available given that it requires details of some 22,000 CE participants to be cross-referenced by FÁS and the Department of Social Protection. I propose to forward the data to the Deputy once it has been compiled and verified.