John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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650. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to amend the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in order to include home-schooled children alongside the list of recognised institutions of education to ensure that parents that rely on social protection supports are not denied a qualified child increase based on the way which they choose to educate their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25586/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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An Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) is payable in respect of qualified children until age 18, or up to 22 if in full-time education, on all schemes where IQCs apply.

An IQC is payable where the child is in full-time education and the customer is in receipt of:

- a long-term DEASP payment,

or

- a short-term payment i.e. Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance, Illness Benefit, Occupational Injury Benefit or Health and Safety Benefit for 156 days or has an accumulation of at least 156 days of relevant DEASP payments

Where a student reaches 18 during the academic year, and the customer is in receipt of a short-term payment but does not satisfy the 156 days requirement, the IQC will continue to be paid in respect of that child up to the 30th June following the birthday or until s/he completes the full-time day course, whichever is the earlier.

Where a student reaches age 22 during an academic year, payment of the IQC is continued for the duration of that academic year, provided s/he remains in full-time education until then.

Section 2(3) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, (as amended) defines the term "qualified child".

A qualified child must:

- Be ordinarily resident in the State

- Not be detained in a children detention school

- Satisfy the condition as to age.

There is no full-time education conditionality.

Under sections 10 and 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 once an 18 year old is registered by the National Educational Welfare Board an IQC is payable. A child does not need to be attending at one of the listed recognised institutions of education but must satisfy the Board under Section 14 (2) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 that the child is registered with the National Education Welfare Board.