Written answers

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Child Benefit Expenditure

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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1629. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of increasing child benefit by amounts (details supplied), in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1236/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina 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 627,432 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2018.

The estimated full year cost of increasing Child Benefit from its current rate of €140 per month by €5, €10, €15, €20 and €25 in 2018 as follows:

IncreaseEstimated Additional Full Year Cost
€5€71.8m
€10€143.7m
€15€215.6m
€20€287.5m
€25€359.4m

Given that Child Benefit is a universal payment this would not be a targeted approach. As can be seen from the figures provided such increases would have very significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

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