Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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1221. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of reversing all cuts and changes to child benefit since 2008. [34594/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 627,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2017.

Between 2000 and 2009, there were significant increases in Child Benefit payments and during that period overall expenditure on Child Benefit grew from €638 million to approximately €2.5 billion per year. This reflected a policy focus on targeting additional resources towards the provision of universal child income supports.

Between 2009 and 2013 a number of reductions in the rates of Child Benefit were made.

Budget 2009 provided for the reduction of the maximum age for which Child Benefit is paid and from 2010 Child Benefit was no longer paid in respect of those aged 18.

In both 2015 and 2016 the monthly Child Benefit rate increased by €5 and it is now paid at a standard rate of €140 per month for each child.

Given the numerous changes made to Child Benefit since 2008 it is not possible to cost with accuracy reversing all cuts and changes to the scheme since 2008.

However, taking the lowest rate payable in 2008, of €166 per child per month, and applying that to the number of children in respect of whom Child Benefit is currently paid would result in an additional cost of around €374 million. Were the higher rates paid in respect of families with three or more children also to be restored, were the upper age limit to be increased to 19 as it was in 2008 and were the grants paid at birth on all multiple births to be reintroduced this would result in a significantly higher figure, which is not currently possible to accurately cost.