THE NEWLY INTRODUCED ‘newborn grant’ has been paid out to almost 20,000 families since its introduction in the last budget, a Fine Gael TD has announced today.

The grant is a one-off payment of €280, and is paid to families of babies born or adopted after 1 December 2024. The grant is in addition to their regular first month’s Child Benefit, which is half that at €140.

The new grant is paid automatically with the first month of Child Benefit payment, so parents of new babies do not need to apply for it.  

John Paul O’Shea, the chairperson of the Social Protection Oireachtas Committee, said that he had obtained figures showing the grant had been paid in respect of 19,750 babies to date.

Dublin had the highest number of newborn babies – 5327 grants were paid up until June. Leitrim had the lowest with just 115 grants paid to families in the county. 

O’Shea said of the grant, “the arrival of a new baby is a joyful time for families but it’s also an expensive time.”

He added that the grant demonstrates the government’s “continued commitment” to “putting money back in peoples’ pockets”. 

He said that although the grant has introduced to support young families, the government needs to do more. 

It is estimated that in 2025, the grant will be paid in respect of some 54,000 children, at a cost of approximately €15 million.