Minister may shelve plans for two-tier child benefit system
The Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has again hinted that proposals on a two-tier child benefit system may be shelved.
An independent report has recommended that child benefit should be either taxed or moved to a two-tier payment system.
Minister Burton, while she has said there is merit in the proposal, says it may take too long to implement at the moment.
She said: "If we move to that, it will take about 18 months to actually bring in very technical changes.
"Whether you want to do it at the moment when we have families around kitchen tables right now, where the child benefit income stream in cash every month - for say three children at €390 - is a very big cash flow.
"I'm not sure that you would wish to do that."
