Greens slam Govt. delays in tackling child poverty 

The Green Party has criticised the Government's for its admission that a second-tier child benefit payment will not be ready in time for Budget 2026.

This is the latest incidence of this do-nothing Government, and flies in the face of recommendations in the ESRI's latest research commissioned by the Department of the Taoiseach and commitments in the Programme for Government to break down silos between Departments and drive the delivery of measures to reduce child poverty. 

Cllr. Lauren Tuite, Spokesperson for Social Protection, said:

"For years, Taoisigh have promised that tackling child poverty was a priority. Yet Minister Calleary has now admitted that a second tier of child benefit won’t be in October’s budget — and may not arrive until 2027. That is not urgency, it is delay. The Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach is failing in its basic purpose: to drive real action across government to lift children out of poverty."

Due to the delay in implementing a second tier of child benefit, the Green Party is calling on Minister Calleary and the Department to examine the merger of the Working Family Payment (WFP) and the Increase for a Qualified Child payment into a single anti-child-poverty payment, which would exist alongside Child Benefit. This payment would be based on total household income, and not on employment status. 

Roderic O'Gorman TD, Green Party Leader, added:

"The Green Party ensured that children and families were at the core of any budgetary measures to assist with the cost-of-living during our term in Government – with the 50% cut in childcare fees and the €420 baby boost payment the start of a step-change in tackling costs for families. We received confirmation from Minister Calleary earlier this year that the Government would retain the baby boost as a permanent measure, which was a very welcome step. We are now calling on the Minister to act now and request his Department examine our proposal to merge the WFP and the Increase for a Qualified Child payment into a single anti-child-poverty payment as a robust measure to tackle the incidence of child poverty."