Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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159. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of persons employed by his Department that are in receipt of the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30645/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Working Family Payment is a weekly, tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to families with children with rates depending on their incomes and family size. The payments are administered by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

The table below contains details provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection of the number of persons employed by the Department of Defence who were in receipt of Working Family Payment as at week-ending 9 October 2020.

These figures indicate that around 0.8%, of the current strength of the Defence Forces and 3.8% of the combined number of civil servants and civilian employees employed by the Department of Defence are currently eligible to receive Working Family Payment. It should be noted that these figures may fluctuate marginally from week to week.