Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated number of households with an income in excess of €100,000 in receipt of child benefit. [45048/12]

Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimate number of households with an income in excess of €100,000 in receipt of child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45272/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 175 together.

Child Benefit is paid to around 600,000 families in respect of some 1.14 million children. It is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and contributes towards alleviating child poverty. It is expected that some €2 billion will be spent on Child Benefit in 2012.

In order to make a reliable estimate of the numbers of households with incomes of over €100,000 per annum where child benefit may be in payment would not only require current household income data but also detailed specifications of the definition of income, what time period was to be considered, whose income was to be included, for example in cases where the child is residing with one or more income-earners who are not their biological parent.

Given the universal nature of child benefit, claimants are not asked to make a declaration of their household composition or of their current or recent income or that of other members in their family or of any other people with whom they may be residing. It is not possible therefore to make a reliable estimate of the numbers of households with incomes of over €100,000 per annum where child benefit may be in payment.