Burton needs to spell out progress on changing Child Benefit payment for non-resident children – Troy

Robert Troy TD

Posted by Robert Troy TD

25/04/2012

 

Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy has called on the Minister for Social Protection to outline what progress the Government is making in seeking changes to the EU rules covering Child Benefit payments for children not living in Ireland. The Government paid out €15.4m in Child Benefit in the last year to parents of such children.

Figures release to Deputy Troy by Minister Joan Burton following a Parliamentary Question show Child Benefit is currently paid to 4,928 families in respect of a total of 7,741 children who are resident elsewhere in the EU.

Deputy Troy said: “The Government gave a commitment over a year ago to seek changes to the EU rules governing this area. As a member of the EU Ireland is obliged to top-up the Child Benefit rate paid in the home country of the child to match the rate paid in Ireland while the parent lives here. This is resulting in substantial payments being made to parents of children living in countries where the cost of raising a child is often far less than it is Ireland.

“It is reasonable to expect that the Government should be making progress on this issue after a year and should be in a position to make changes in the December budget to Child Benefit paid for children not living here. Savings in this area would help maintain the rates of Child Benefit paid to parents raising their children in Ireland.”