Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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264. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of proving for a €1,000 child benefit lump sum payment in respect of all newborn babies. [45955/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am delighted, as part of Budget 2025, to have introduced a new baby grant of €280. This new payment will assist parents with the costs associated with new babies. It will provide additional financial support to a family to ensure adequate resources and that the material needs of a newborn are met. It is estimated that in 2025, the grant will be paid in respect of some 54,000 children, at a cost of approximately €15 million.

In order to issue this new payment some changes to my Department’s systems are required. As a result, the first new baby payment will issue in the new year in respect of those babies born in December.

Child Benefit has been awarded in respect of over 270,000 newborn babies over the last 5 years, an average of 54,000 per annum. Based on this average, the net cost of increasing the Child Benefit lump sum payment to €1,000 in respect of all newborn babies would be approximately €39 million per annum.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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265. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to preschool children. [45956/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.

The allowance is paid in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 on or before 30 September and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 on or before 30 September, if returning to full time second level education. To qualify for the allowance the applicant must be in receipt of an increase for a qualified child in respect of the child for whom the allowance is being claimed, the applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and the assessable income for the household must be within a set income limit.

The rates of payment for the 2024 scheme are €160 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €285 for children aged 12 and over.

As at the end of October 2024, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments totaling €56.95m have issued to 149,300 families in respect of 264,000 children.

It is estimated that 34,000 children may be eligible for the payment if eligibility was extended to preschool children. The estimated cost of extending the payment to preschool children is €5.4m.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.