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The Irish Sun

Crucial €145 Child Benefit hike with ‘as soon as possible' demand for second payment move after 10 years of no increases

THE consideration of a second Child Benefit payment must be brought before the Children's Committee "as soon as possible", it has been claimed. Taoiseach Advertisement 2 Taoiseach Micheal Martin refused to rule out a second Child Benefit payment Credit: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire 2 The second payment could mean an extra €145 each month for hard-pressed parents Credit: Getty Images - Getty Child Benefit is a A The Advertisement READ MORE IN MONEY In 2004, the monthly payment for a first child was €131.60. The universal payment now stands at €140, just six per cent higher than it was eleven years ago. But yesterday, the Taoiseach said the government will be "examining all aspects" of a second tier rate of the €140 social welfare payment. He said: "I have a unit within the Department that is focusing on this issue and I've already spoken to Minister for Social Protection Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN "Nothing is off the table. There is a wide menu of options to choose from to target resources to meaningfully impact on the child poverty situation." Little known social welfare benefits thousands are entitled to Social Democrats children spokesperson Aidan Farrelly today said the government "shouldn't make promises" on child poverty without showing they have a roadmap to achieve its reduction. Deputy Farrelly said: "I was struck to hear yesterday that the Taoiseach is not ruling out a two-tier child benefit system in advance of the Budge, given I put this issue directly to the Minister for Children on Thursday at the Children's Committee. "It's good to know that the work of the committee and its contributions are taken into account by the Minister in terms of influencing legislation at Cabinet. Advertisement 'In response to my question, the Minister neither ruled out nor spoke in support of a two-tier system - I believe a second targeted second child welfare payment for those who need it would be a powerful tool in reducing child poverty. "The Department must now commit to this consideration and design a pathway towards its introduction so that we can trust that this isn't simply a kite-flying exercise for the government." The government shouldn't make promises on child poverty without showing that they've a roadmap to achieve its reduction". Deputy Aidan Farrelly Farrelly said it is of paramount importance that the second-tier Child Benefit payment is subject to in-depth planning. The new payment shake-up would cost the government approximately €772 million each year, according to the ESRI. Advertisement The think tank said it would be the "most cost-effective option" of reducing child poverty. Deputy Farrelly said: "The Minister's time in the Department of Education was pockmarked by projects and initiatives which lost their way en route to implementation - the same mistakes must not be made this time round. "The necessary planning and infrastructure must be put in place before a promise is made to struggling families. 'EXPLORING' TARGETED PAYMENT Farrelly said the introduction of the scheme must be brought before the Children's Committee, adding that he will be writing to the Chair to ensure the issue is discussed at "the nearest possible convenience". Advertisement He added: "The government shouldn't make promises on child poverty without showing that they've a roadmap to achieve its reduction - the consideration of a two-tier child benefit system must be brought before the Children's Committee as soon as possible." The Programme for Government states that it is "committed" to with the while also providing "targeted supports" to those most in need. A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection told The Irish Sun: "The Programme for Government commitments relating to Child Benefit are to: "Continue to support families with the cost of raising their family through the Child Benefit payment, and Advertisement "Explore a targeted Child Benefit payment and examine the interaction this would have with existing targeted supports to reduce Child Poverty such as the Working Family Payment and Child Support Payment. "The Department is working to advance these commitments and, in any event, schemes, including Child Benefit, are kept under review in the context of the annual budget process." NEED FOR 'SUSTAINED INVESTMENT' Last week, the 2025 Child Poverty Monitor from the Children's Rights Alliance revealed the number of children living in consistent poverty rose by a staggering 54,107 in 2024 to 102,977 this year. Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance said the multi-faced nature of child poverty will take "sustained investment" across multiple departments and budgets to break the cycle. Advertisement She added: "The commitment and continued investment in universal measures is positive but not every child can enjoy the benefits of these without targeted supports to do so. "We now need to see this Government go even further than before, and take a determined, ambitious approach to making Ireland the country to break the cycle of poverty in one generation." Karina Doorley, Associate Research Professor at the ESRI, last week said a second-tier of Child Benefit could be "key" in reducing child poverty. ELIGIBLE FAMILIES Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Dr Doorley explained: "To take a lot of children out of poverty, you need to give low income households a lot of money. Advertisement 'So, that would amount to about an extra €150 million on average for low income households. But it would vary depending on whether they were on the lower end of the spectrum or the higher end. 'So, that would amount to a payment, on average, of about €285 per child when you account for the universal child benefit - as well as the means tested payment." And the Associate Research Professor said there are a number of ways to calculate which families are eligible for the payments. She explained: "At the moment, there are 15 per cent of children living below the poverty line in Ireland. Advertisement 'Another way that we measure poverty is using the material deprivation rate; so this reports on the proportion of families who can't afford essential items - so, two or more from a list of essential items. 'The proportion of children living in households that can't afford these essential goods is also very high at 21 per cent - compared to the total population rate of 16 per cent."