241 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will give a commitment to review the perceived unfair treatment in relation to payments to parents of twins in comparison with the level of payments afforded to multiple birth parents; if he will consider effecting these changes in the context of the next budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8632/01]

251 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans in place to redress the imbalance in child benefit payments that exists between parents of twins and other multiple births such as triplets, in view of the fact that twins do not receive payments in the same proportions as other multiple births. [8943/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 251 together.

I have set out the position in relation to the issue of child benefit entitlements and multiple births on a number of occasions to this House in the recent past. Briefly, the position is that prior to the introduction of the Social Welfare Act, 1998, child benefit was payable at double the normal rate for each child where three or more children were born together. In the case of twins, child benefit was paid at the normal rate but a grant of £500 was payable at the birth of twins and further grants of £500 were payable when the twins reached the ages of four and 12.

In fulfilment of our pre-election commitments, I introduced two key additional measures in the Social Welfare Act, 1998, designed to improve the overall package of benefits available to parents of multiple births. First, the rate of child benefit payable in respect of twins was increased to 150% of the normal child benefit rate. Secondly, the £500 grants, which previously were confined to families with twins, were extended to include also families with multiple births of three or more children. Both these measures took effect in September 1998 at a full year cost of some £4.8 million.