Leo Varadkar allowance increase not in official notes

Leo Varadkar’s decision to increase back-to-school payments was made just days before he left the Department of Social Protection to become Taoiseach.

The first payments, from the increased, €47.4m budget, are being made to 108,000 families this week. They will include 25% increases in the amounts, up from €100 last year to €125 for primary-school aged children, and from €200 to €250 for older children.

The rises were only announced by Mr Varadkar on June 13, the day before his election as Taoiseach by the Dáil. The statement had been issued to the press the day before, 11 days after he was chosen as Fine Gael leader, on June 2.