John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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2079. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the full year estimated cost of introducing a higher rate of the qualified child increase for all social welfare payments to families with dependent children over the age of 12 and to increase this by €5. [28515/17]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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2123. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of introducing a higher rate of the qualified child increase for all social welfare payments to families with dependent children over 12 years of age and in particular, the cost of increasing same by €5 from €29.80 to €34.80; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29117/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2079 and 2123 together.

Increases for a Qualified Child (IQCs) are paid as child-related supplements to most weekly social welfare payments in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. The current full rate of payment is €29.80 per week per dependent child. The estimated expenditure on qualified child increase in 2017 is around €591million. The Department currently pays IQCs in respect of 443,635 children.

(319,153 at the full rate and 124, 482 at the half rate)

IQC payments do not of themselves constitute a specific social welfare scheme and entitlement to the appropriate primary adult payment must be established in the first instance.

Where children continue in full-time education, payment of the IQC can continue up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which the child reaches 22 in the case of long-term payments as well as short-term payments that have been in payment for at least 156 days.

Given the complexity involved and in the time available it is currently not feasible to accurately predict the full year cost of introducing a higher rate of the qualified child increase for all social welfare payments to families with dependent children over the age of 12. My Department will examine the available data and will get back to the Deputy in due course.