Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the children's allowance to cover all children up to and including 18 years of age who remain in full-time, second level education as the expense of secondary school remains in place even though the child is 18 years old; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18729/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Child benefit is a monthly universal payment to assist with the costs associated with raising children. It is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014. Child benefit continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education or who have a disability. I am conscious that child benefit is an important source of income for all families.

Budget 2009 provided for the reduction of the age for which child benefit is paid from under 19 years to under 18 years. This measure was implemented in full in 2011 and has resulted in savings of €79 million on an annual basis. A value for money review of child income supports undertaken by the Department of Social Protection in 2010 found that participation patterns in education support the 18 year age limit for child benefit. I have no immediate plans to make any changes to the age threshold for child benefit. Furthermore, any changes to the eligibility criteria for child benefit could only be decided in a budgetary context.

Families on a low income can avail of a number of social welfare schemes to support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including the qualified child increase (QCI) on primary payments, the family income supplement (FIS) and the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. These payments provide a level of assistance which is directly or indirectly linked with a household’s income situation. I am therefore satisfied that the social protection system adequately supports low income families with children aged 18 years and over who are participating in full-time education.