Nearly 4,500 Kildare families to get money for Back To School clothes and footwear
Families in Kildare are urged to check their eligibility and apply if necessary
More families across Kildare are set to receive support with back-to-school expenses following the extension of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme.
The scheme has been expanded in 2026 to include children aged two and three for the first time, providing additional assistance to families facing education and childcare costs ahead of the new school year.
Kildare South TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, welcomed the move, saying it will help ease financial pressures on families across the county.
"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," he said.
"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 across the country are expected to automatically receive the allowance in July. With the inclusion of two and three-year-olds, around 37,000 additional children will qualify for support this year.
Applications for the scheme are now open, although most payments will be issued automatically without the need for an application form.
Minister Heydon encouraged families in Kildare to check their eligibility and apply if necessary.
"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 through MyWelfare.ie or indeed to contact my office," he said.
He added that the measure reflects ongoing efforts to support families with the cost of education and ensure children have the best possible start to the school year.