Written answers

Thursday, 27 September 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Child Benefit Eligibility

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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210. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of removing the habitual residency condition as a condition for access to child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39289/18]

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 almost 628,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2018.

In order to qualify for payment of child benefit, a person must satisfy what is known as the Habitual Residence Condition. It is not possible to predict with any degree of accuracy the cost of removing the habitual residency condition for access to Child Benefit.

For example, and to consider just one group of people who may not meet this condition, according to figures produced in July of this year by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) there were just over 1,500 children resident in RIA accommodation. However, as this Department does not hold information regarding their ages or school attendance records it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the numbers eligible or the cost of extending child benefit to these children. Other groups who may not initially meet the HRC condition could include returning immigrants or people temporarily resident or resident for short stays, who retain a centre of interests elsewhere. As these numbers vary constantly a reliable estimate of cost is not possible.

As a general guide on cost, every 1,000 additional Child Benefit claims would cost €1.68 million.

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