Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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78. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures she plans to implement towards supporting stay at home parents; and the funding proposed to be allocated in budget 2019 in this regard. [26582/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The sole universal child-related payment for parents, regardless of their employment status, administered by my Department is Child Benefit. Child Benefit is a universal payment to help families with the cost of raising children and plays an important role in tackling child poverty. Receipt of the payment is not contingent on a means test or social insurance contributions. 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 almost 629,000 families in respect of nearly 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2018. As Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, I support the universality of the Child Benefit payment, and the principle that all families with children should receive this income support.

Given the universality of Child Benefit it is not a payment which lends itself to a targeted approach and the considerable costs associated with any upward adjustment to the payment can result in benefits being spread very thinly, rather than making a difference where there is most need. Government policy is to provide additional supports for parents and their children through increased services, rather than increased cash transfers. This includes such services as free early-years education through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, and enhanced provision of affordable childcare. Any enhanced budgetary spending in these areas will be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Finally, I understand the Deputy had a specific interest in relation to Home Carer Tax Credit. This is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance.