Children with ‘more needs’ may get higher benefit but not in Budget 2025, says Taoiseach

The Government is likely to consider the question of having two different rates of child benefit but will not be doing so in Budget 2025, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

Mr Harris said that while he strongly supported the principle of universal child benefit, there were children in Irish society who had more needs.

Child benefit is currently paid at €140 a month for each child regardless of household income.

The Taoiseach raised the possibility of “a new rate of child benefit paid to children most in need”. He stressed, however, it would be a matter to consider “over time, not in this budget, but in the lifetime of another government”.

Mr Harris was speaking during his visit to the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois on Tuesday.

Speaking about the appointment of Ireland’s EU commissioner Michael McGrath to the justice portfolio, the Taoiseach said it represented a vote of confidence in him by commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

“It is an expanded portfolio, larger even than the one of his predecessor in the justice area. I also very much welcome the fact that there’s a portfolio that will have a particular responsibility for consumer protection.”

In response to a question about Sinn Féin’s plan to distribute €1 billion of the Apple tax funds to deprived communities, Mr Harris said it was yet another daily proposal by the Opposition party to spend money.

“Let’s look at the details. Anything that we do with windfall tax, anything that we do with Apple tax, is money that can only be spent once,” he said.

[ Apple tax: Taoiseach suggests funds could go towards infrastructure and housingOpens in new window ]

He accused Sinn Féin of trying to divide communities with recent political initiatives. He also rebuffed any question of direct funding for RTÉ, saying the broadcaster was entitled to put forward a view but the Government had made a decision on retaining the licence fee and that was final.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and vice-president and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill also visited the ploughing festival on Tuesday. Speaking of the impact of the past year, when both she and her husband had serious health issues, and her father died, Ms McDonald said it had changed how she saw the world, not to mind politics.

“A bereavement is a game changer. Cancer coming into a household, as everyone will know, changes everything, not just for the person themselves, but for the whole family. Politically, I think that would be for others to judge. But I have a renewed and incredibly deep respect for carers, for people who care in our health system, for family home carers.”

The festival was opened by President Michael D Higgins. In his speech, he said when he addresses the special summit on the future of the United Nations in New York next week he will refer to the 280 million in the world facing acute hunger, the devastating impact of drought in Africa and the failure of the world to achieve sustainable development goals.

“How shameful it is that this is taking place in a world where military expenditure has soared to unprecedented levels, reaching $2.44 trillion in 2023 – the highest ever recorded,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, the President said such breaches had provoked a deep question about how arms production has defeated diplomacy in so many areas, as has happened in Gaza.

Mr Higgins (83) also spoke about his health following a stroke earlier this year, telling reporters had ongoing “balance problems” which required the use of two sticks.