MINISTER FOR CHILDREN Roderic O’Gorman has said that a one-off child benefit payment of €560 for parents in the first month their child is born would have a “meaningful impact” for families. 

The Green Party leader said his party would be bringing the proposal forward to the budgetary negotiations over the next number of weeks.

The budget will be announced on 1 October. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne programme, O’Gorman said: “We’re very aware of the extra financial pressures that all new parents face on the arrival of a newborn. A new cot, new baby seat, new steriliser, all those really basic but quite expensive pieces of equipment.

“The idea is that alongside the initial child benefit payment of €140, there’d be a boost for that first payment, and we’re talking about quadrupling it and bringing it up to €560 for that first payment.”

He said the boost payment would give a clear indication to parents that the Government is supporting them and their newborn “in a very tangible way” when “bills are racking up”.

O’Gorman said the Green Party would bring their proposals to Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, along with Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

Asked if he would like to see the €560 boost payment alongside an increase in the core child benefit payment, he said it would have to be looked at “in the scope of all the other financial demands that are out there right now”.

“We think at a time where we have the opportunity to provide investments, to provide support, this is a really meaningful support to a group of parents who really need this extra financial support.”

When asked about the proposal this afternoon, Taoiseach Simon Harris said he would not be commenting on everything that is floated by members of Government.

However, he said: “It’s an absolute priority for me, and I welcome the fact that it’s a priority for others in coalition, that this budget has a real focus on children, families, tackling child poverty and making sure that every child gets off to the best start in life.

“I absolutely am a fully signed-up member of that club. I think that’s really important. How we decide to do it is something we all tease out between now and the budget.”

Harris said it was “the time of the season” when political parties make budgetary suggestions, including the three parties forming a coalition government.

“Of course when it comes to budget day, the three parties come together and devise and design a budget, we will have a series of meetings as leaders with the Finance Minister and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,” he said.

Childcare

O’Gorman also said the State needs to “step in” and provide childcare in areas where there is not enough capacity. 

He proposed that the Government would work alongside existing providers to ensure that every parent has access to early learning and care for their children. 

O’Gorman said he believes the State “needs to be taking an even greater role in the delivery and the provision of childcare”.

He reiterated that, as part of the Green Party manifesto, he proposes making two years of free early childhood care and education (ECCE) a legal right. 

“In order to make sure we can deliver that in areas where there is low supply of childcare places, the State actually starts to step in and look to provide childcare directly alongside community and private providers,” he said. 

O’Gorman said one of the big pressures for providers is staff because they “aren’t sufficiently paid in early years”, adding that he had brought in two pay agreements to improve staff pay and that he would be looking at the issue in Budget 2025.

“I think whoever is in government next, and if the Green Party is in government in the next five years, this will be a central element for us, having greater state involvement through the direct provision of childcare.”

Asked if a fully funded public child care model would be part of the Green Party manifesto, O’Gorman said the next five years is about “delivering extra capacity in areas that need it, and continuing to grow the overall level of funding”.

Last month, the Government announced new childcare subsidy rates and a new fee cap for childcare providers using “core funding“, in order to reduce costs for parents. 

However, an increasing number of creches are exiting the core funding system so they can increase their fees, on the basis that the terms and conditions imposed by government to receive core funding are not financially viable for them. 

Asked about providers leaving the system, O’Gorman said that “while some individual services have issues in terms of core funding”, 94.5% of services signed up to the system last year and “we’re seeing the same number of people sign up” this year.