Crackdown after immigrants claim €90m in child benefits
Claimants must now validate their eligibility for the payments every three months by proving they are employed here.
Social and Family Affairs Minister Martin Cullen said the move was needed to ensure Ireland complied with EU reciprocal arrangements while ensuring the system was not being abused.
Mr Cullen also defended the way his department enforced the Habitual Residency Condition for Irish citizens returning home.
One in 10 of the 17,000 Irish people claiming HRC status since 2004 were turned down — barring them from child benefit and other welfare payments.
Mr Cullen said this was because they were only intending to live in Ireland temporarily and his department had to apply the rules to all EU citizens without favour.
Opposition TDs accused him of mean-spiritedness, saying many carers returning home to look after sick relatives were being banned from payments they should be entitled to.
Mr Cullen said HRC, which was brought in at the time of the EU Eastern expansion in 2004, was “one of the most successful” pieces of legislation ever as it had prevented a drain on welfare payments.
Labour social and family affairs spokeswoman Roisín Shorthall accused the Government of paying rent allowance to thousands of bogus landlords who could not provide PPS numbers.
FG welfare spokeswoman Olywn Enright said Mr Cullen was subjecting the children of asylum seekers to undue hardship as the “slow” system kept such families in limbo while they were barred from claiming child benefit. She said it was unacceptable to expect children to have their needs met with €9 per week after food and accommodation was paid for.
About 80% of the claims for child benefits and early childcare supplement payments are believed to be for children residing in Poland.
An EU convention from 30 years ago means employees from any member state can claim children’s allowance in the country they work in for non-resident children.
The Government has been deluged with applications since the €1,000 a year early childcare supplement was unveiled in the December 2005 Budget.
Fine Gael has demanded a legislative change to ensure the early childcare supplement for children under six is only eligible for use in Ireland.
