Extension of child benefit to be brought forward to May

The Government had promised to extend the payment to young people in full-time education up until their 19th birthday

Child benefit is to be extended to 18-year-olds who are still in school or who have a disability from the beginning of May.

The Government had promised to extend the payment to young people in full-time education up until their 19th birthday from September. However, this is now being brought forward by four months.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will tell Cabinet that her department is in a position to implement the measure that will benefit the families of 60,000 teenagers earlier than planned.

It is understood that Ms Humphreys intends to implement the change through an amendment to the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 that is due before the Seanad this week.

Meanwhile, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe will seek Cabinet sign-off on the recently negotiated public service pay deal. The €3.6bn agreement will run until 2024 and provides for pay increases of 10.25%.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will tell Cabinet that her department is in a position to implement the measure sooner than previously planned. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is to brief ministers on progress last year with 32,695 homes competed, the highest since CSO records began in 2011.

He will also give an overview of the coming 12 months with the latest report from independent body Euroconstruct, predicting that residential outputs here will grow at 12.3% this year and next, representing the strongest rate among 19 European countries.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will not attend the Cabinet meeting as he co-chairs the 2024 International Energy Agency (IEA) ministerial meeting.

This is the first time Ireland will co-chair the event, which brings together energy and climate ministers from more than 40 governments. 

A priority focus at the ministerial will be on how the world can transition away from fossil fuels, as agreed at Cop28 in Dubai. 

Ministers are expected to agree that developing new long-term oil and gas supplies is incompatible with keeping global warming below 1.5C.

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