Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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411. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €5, €10 , €15, €20 and €25; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14731/18]

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.

End of year records show that under the 2017 BSCFA scheme, payments were made to 151,000 families in respect of over 275,000 children at a cost of €49 million. The rate of payment in 2017 was increased by 25% to €125 in respect of children aged 4 to 11 and €250 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Using the total number of children covered by the scheme in 2017 as a basis, the additional cost to increase the BSCFA rates by the amounts listed is set out in the attached tabular statement. Changes to increase the rate of payment of any scheme administered by my Department would have to be considered in a budgetary context.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Estimated Full -Year Additional Cost to Increase BSCFA rates by amounts listed: