The Government announced on Tuesday that the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance would be increased by €100 per child from August.
The allowance paid for children aged between four and 11 years will increase from €160 to €260, while it will increase from €285 to €385 for those over 11.
Those eligible will begin receiving the allowance payment from the start of next week, with the increased amount being paid from August.
READ MORE: Squeezed middle-income earners won't benefit from back-to-school and footwear allowances
The school meals programme is also being expanded from September to include an extra 60,000 children.
The new measures will see 290,000 children benefit from the meals programme and 120,000 families getting the back-to-school allowance.
While charges for school transport will be waived for a year, benefitting 121,000 children.
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath announced the measures, which will cost €67 million.
Minister McGrath said that "given that these are immediate costs", it "was best to make an intervention at this time" rather than waiting until the Budget.
He also said the increase in the back-to-school allowance is an "exceptional one-off", but the extension of the meals programme will be permanent.
People may qualify for the back-to-school allowance if they are on social welfare, in training or in direct provision, and qualifying families must have incomes below certain thresholds.
However, opposition parties have called for the payment to be extended to include higher income families.
Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald has urged the Government to "take the next step" and extend the allowance to another half a million children.
She said a substantial number of families and children had been left behind.
She told the Dáil on Wednesday that families with a modest weekly income of €621 are excluded from this allowance.
Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath said Government had intervened yesterday to help families facing financial pressures.
He described the move as targeted and aimed at those who need it most.
He added that the Government has adopted a coherent strategy and would provide additional support to families in the Budget in September.
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