Almost €21 million was paid out by the State last year in child benefit to the parents of non-resident children, the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Michael Ring, was told in the Dáil.
The Mayo TD has sought the information from the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin TD. The Minister said the total expenditure on child benefit in 2008 was approximately €2.46 billion. The expenditure for 2008 in respect of non-resident children was approximately €20.9 million.
Concerning the Early Childcare Supplement, which is administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Minister said the total expenditure on the ECS in 2008 was €477 million. The expenditure for 2008 in respect of non-resident children was approximately €4.5 million.
Deputy Ring commented: “I had raised this issue with the Minister about the amount of money which is being paid to children who live outside the State but their parents are here in Ireland. With the amount of people who are now leaving the country, what checks are the Department of Social and Family Affairs carrying out to make sure the people who are claiming those payments are still working in Ireland and that they have not left the country and that this money is still being paid.”
