4,461 families in Kildare to benefit from extended Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
The scheme has this year been extended to cover two and three-year-olds
Kildare South Fine Gael TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Martin Heydon has said that families across Kildare are set to benefit from an extended Back to School Allowance.
Minister Heydon said the extension of the scheme in 2026 to include two and three-year-olds for the first time will ensure even more families are supported at back-to-school or pre-school time.
“The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a really important once-off payment to 4,461 eligible families in Kildare towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.
“The costs of going back to school can place real pressure on families, so I’m delighted to see that €60.4 million is being provided nationally for the scheme this year.”
More than 109,000 families will automatically receive the allowance in July. With the extension of the scheme to include children aged two and three for the first time, around 37,000 additional children will qualify for the allowance this year.
“Applications are now open for the scheme, but the majority of payments will be paid automatically with no application form required.
“I urge all families in Kildare to check their eligibility for this important scheme and encourage any family who do not receive notification from the Department of an automated payment to make an application online on www.MyWelfare.ie. or indeed to contact my office.”
Concluding, Minister Heydon said that “Fine Gael is supporting families with the cost of going back to school so children can have the best possible start to the school year.”