The Government has said it is confident there will be no significant financial exposure caused by migrant workers who claim the early childcare supplement.
Minister of State Brian Lenihan said the Government would continue to monitor the situation but he said he was "satisfied" there would be "no significant financial exposure" as a result of the scheme which was introduced to help ease the burden of childcare costs.
Fine Gael's Senator Brian Hayes claimed today the Government had made a significant error in its budgetary planning by failing to account for children of migrant workers who are entitled to the annual €1,000 early childcare supplement despite being resident in their home country.
"There has clearly been no consideration taken of the children of migrant workers who move here with their parents or those who stay behind in the country of origin with one parent or another family member, he said.
"The Government must immediately review the way in which this payment is made. They need to ensure that their proposal to ensure that their childcare package is tailored towards children resident in this country," he added.
The supplement scheme was initially estimated to cost €353 million a year.
Parents of children under six will receive a childcare supplement worth €1,000 a year - or €19 a week - from the middle of the year.
The supplement is part of a five-year childcare strategy announced in the Budget, which will provide for an extension of maternity leave, grant-aid for childcare providers and the creation of up to 50,000 extra childcare places.
The new childcare supplement will be payable to all parents for each child under six regardless of their employment status and was introduced to help ease the burden of childcare costs.
