Almost 50,000 Families received Newborn Baby Grants

• First anniversary of the Newborn Baby Grant
• €280 grant payable with the first month of Child Benefit
• Almost 50,000 grants have been paid to families celebrating their new arrivals

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has marked the first anniversary of the Newborn Baby Grant which has already seen the grant paid to approximately 49,000 families in respect of 50,000 newborns and newly-adopted children since its introduction last year.

As part of Budget 2025, the Department of Social Protection introduced a new baby grant of €280, a once-off financial support to families to provide for the material needs of a newborn baby or newly-adopted child.

This support is in line with First 5 – the whole-of-Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. This strategy emphasises the importance of support in the early months and years of a child’s life and the positive impact such supports can have not just when they are babies or toddlers, but throughout their lives.

The Newborn Baby Grant is paid automatically with the first month of Child Benefit payment. Therefore, parents do not need to apply for the grant separately.

In the year since its launch, the Newborn Baby Grant has been paid in respect of 49,841 children at a cost of approximately €14 million.

Commenting on the anniversary, Minister Calleary said:

“This week we celebrate the first anniversary of the Newborn Baby Grants, introduced as part of Budget 2025 and now supporting families across the country.

In just one year, these grants have reached tens of thousands of parents all over Ireland, helping families mark the arrival of their newest members.

At a joyful but costly time, these payments are making a real difference by giving parents a little extra support as they welcome their new babies.”

NEWBORN BABY GRANT

The Newborn Baby Grant is part of the whole-of-Government First 5 strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. This is a ten-year plan to help make sure all children have positive early experiences and get a great start in life.

This bonus payment on the birth or adoption of a child aims to assist parents with the costs associated with new family members, by providing an additional financial support.

CHILD BENEFIT

Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 (or until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability).

The standard rate of Child Benefit is €140 per month.

Child Benefit is paid on the first Tuesday of every month. The first payment is made the month after the child is born.

Twins are paid at one and a half times the standard monthly rate for each child, that is, €210 per month for each twin. All other multiple births are paid at double the standard monthly rate for each child, that is €280 per child.

The Newborn Baby Grant of €280 is paid in addition to the regular €140 Child Benefit payment in the first month. The payment is made in respect of approximately 50,000 children each year.

As a result of this measure, in the month after the birth of a child or placement of an adopted child, the qualifying parents will be eligible for:

• In the case of a single birth, a payment of €420 (the usual Child Benefit payment of €140 plus the new baby grant of €280)
• In the case of twins, a payment of €980 (the usual Child Benefit payment of €210 per child plus two new baby grants of €280 each).
• In the case of triplets, a payment of €1,680 (the usual Child Benefit payment of €280 per child plus two three new baby grants of €280 each).