Lucky babies to leap at €100 birthday bonus

BABIES lucky enough to be born on the final day of this month – February 29 in a Leap year – are to get a €100 bounty payment from the government.

The move was announced yesterday by Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Year of the Family.

The gesture could lead to the government making as many as 165 payments, based on average daily birth figures.