Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the discussions she has had with the Department of Social Protection with regard to the child benefit budget 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46708/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department works in close partnership with other Government Departments on a range of cross-cutting issues in relation to both policy and provision as they relate to children and young people. As the Deputy will be aware, Budget 2013 will be announced later this year and in accordance with the engagement process all Ministers and their Departments will have responsibility, in the first instance, for evaluating those programmes and services for which they have primary responsibility. In addition to this, Ministers will have collective responsibility for decisions on the overall package of measures to be introduced in the context of the upcoming Budget and it would be inappropriate for me at this time to comment on budgetary matters.