Cork TD Deirdre Clune has called on the Minister for Social & Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin, to reconsider attacking hard pressed Irish families by cutting Child Benefit in the budget. At the weekend Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny T.D., committed the Party to leaving the payment untouched.

For a very few, Child Benefit may be a luxury but for the vast majority of the parents of the 129,251 children in Cork for which it is paid it is now more than ever a vital part of the family income and must be protected. (PDF 982KB)

There are other ways of making savings in the Budget and other areas that require more urgent action than removing one of the last remaining family supports mothers in Ireland still have.

The Government’s budget plan of simply hitting front line services and taking money off the most vulnerable but having no idea of how to get people back to work is doomed to failure. December’s Budget must focus on job creation and public finance reforms that are widely accepted as fair if it is to successful.

The best way of reducing the social welfare budget is to get people back to work. To achieve this we need a stimulus plan like Fine Gael’s NewERA plan to invest in major new economy infrastructure and create jobs.

Everyone expects a difficult Budget but if it is to be successful it must not only be fair but it must be seen to be fair. That means protecting front line services and the old and young in our society from the harshest cuts. The Public Service needs to be reformed, pay awards, bonuses and increments should be frozen, a voluntary redundancy scheme for back office staff should be established and those earning over €80,000 per year should take a 5% pay cut. Carbon tax and a windfall levy on power generators could be introduced.

There are ways of making savings in our budgets but it requires a willingness to reform that the Fianna Fáil/Green Government lacks. Fine Gael is committed not to touch Child Benefit. It is a direct payment to mothers and is a payment that thousands of hard pressed families depend on.