Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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594. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has examined the proposal by a charity (details supplied) in its 2018 pre-budget submission to increase the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to €305; the cost of implementing such an increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31143/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The 2017 payment rates have been increased from €100 to €125 for children aged 4 to 11 years and from €200 to €250 for children aged 12 years and over and attending secondary school. The additional funding for the increase in rates brings the total allocation for the allowance this year to €47.4 million, an increase of €10 million on what was originally provided.

Similar to arrangements in previous years, the majority of payments under this scheme will be paid with no application form required. The allowance will be paid in the week commencing 10 July to allow parents sufficient time to prepare for back to school. Customers who have not received notification of an automated payment should make a written application to my Department.

The pre-Budget submission for 2018 referred to by the Deputy includes the proposal to restore the allowance to the 2011 rates of payment of €200 in respect of children aged 4 to 11 and €305 for children aged 12 years and over. Using the number of children covered by the scheme in 2016 as a basis, the full year additional cost to increase the 2017 rates to the 2011 rates would be an additional €18.9 million.

Any changes to these rates would have to be considered in a budgetary context and within the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements.

The Minister for Education and Skills, has recently published a new circular on the measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs, as part of a range of measures to take greater account of the needs of parents and students in the school system. The circular letter is available on the Department of Education and Skills website at

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.