Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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38. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding child benefit payments when parents separate but equally share parenting, that is when children spend half of their time in the care of each of their parents; if in a situation like this, if both parents are considered eligible for 50% of the child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38702/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to the parents/guardians of children that assists families with the cost associated with raising children. Currently, child benefit is paid to around 604,000 families in respect of some 1.15 million children with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014.

The needs of the children are the priority consideration in the payment of child benefit. Under Section 220 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005, child benefit is payable to the person with whom a qualified child normally resides and the child will not be regarded as normally residing with more than one person. Regulations governing normal residence for child benefit purposes are contained in S.I. 142/2007 (Article 159) and they provide inter aliafor the following:

(1) In the event that a qualified child is resident with both mother and father, he or she will be regarded as normally residing with the mother or step-mother.

(2) If mother and father are resident in separate households, the qualified child shall be regarded as normally residing with the person with whom he or she resides for the majority of the time.

In practice, child benefit is paid to the child’s mother in all cases except where the parents are separated and the father has responsibility for the full-time care of the child for more than 50% of the time.

The regulations governing the scheme does not provide for the splitting of the payment between parties in cases of shared residency arrangements for the child.

If the Deputy wishes to have a particular case considered in further detail by the Department, I will arrange this if she sends me the details.