Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1370. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether he will consider moving the payment of the back-to-school allowance to an earlier point in the school year (details supplied). [45653/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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 rates of payment for the 2025 scheme are €160 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €285 for children aged 12 and over.

Last year, Back to School Clothing and Footwear payments totalling €57.04m were made to 149,500 families in respect of 264,400 qualified children. It is expected that a similar number will benefit from the scheme this year.

The scheme opened to applications on 9 June 2025. Up to close of business on Monday 1 September, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments totalling €53.8m have issued to 140,589 families in respect of 249,044 children.

The scheme remains open to new applications on www.mywelfare.ie/ until 30 September 2025.

Applications for financial support which fall outside the rules and timeframe of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme may be considered for an Additional Needs Payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service. There is a National Community Welfare Service Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications for an Additional Needs Payment can be made online on www.mywelfare.ie/.

My officials will examine the feasibility of having an earlier initial payment date in 2026.