Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

629. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost to increase the age limit for the one family payment to 12 years. [25918/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The cost of extending the One-Parent Family Payment by five years, until the youngest child reaches age 12, is difficult to accurately estimate as it is challenging to predict the future movement of customers into and between schemes and the subsequent cost implications relating to secondary benefits.

Some people whose youngest child is aged between 7 and 12 may be in receipt of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, others may be in receipt of the Back to Work Family Dividend or the Working Family Payment, while still others may not be in receipt of any social welfare payment at all. To respond to the question posed requires estimating how many of these customers would reasonably be expected to meet the criteria and avail of One-Parent Family Payment should it become available.

Given the above, I am advised that the cost of increasing the age limit for the one family payment until the youngest child reaches 12 is not possible to estimate in the time available. However, I have asked my officials to examine the matter further and revert to the Deputy directly.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.