Europe needs babies...

...so why would Ireland remove child benefit from larger families?

Europe needs babies is the message from the European Parliament which voted in favour of extending both maternity and paternity leave  this week.  But here it was reported that child benefit could be cut for third and subsequent children in the December Budget, sending a wave of panic through larger families. PACUB is supporting these families in opposing any further cuts to child benefit for any group.

PACUB spokeswoman Niamh Kelly commented: “Parents are living in fear and dread of what's ahead. They are very concerned and scared, and many don't know how they will survive this winter and indeed the next 4 years.

“Why are we here again? There are other ways to make the cuts that have been suggested without targeting our most valuable asset: our children. Only last year an OECD report heavily criticised our lack of investment in our young. They say we need to do more, and the increases in child benefit a few years ago is just the first step.

“Yet now we read that cuts are yet again planned, with bigger families being unfairly targeted. This completely contradicts the rationale for child benefit: When it was first introduced in 1946 by Sean Lemass it was to help bigger families with 3 or more children. It was expanded as a way for the country to invest in the next generation and the future of Ireland.

“Parents will feel discriminated against and penalised for having more than two children, this latest idea does not take into account family background or expenses. Regardless of how many children they have, many families now feel that they are on a cliff edge struggling to hang on. Their fingers are slipping and come January 2011 many will fall if the government continues on its path to cut child benefit.”

PACUB believes that families are being expected - again - to take the biggest hit in the proposed austerity measures. Families live in bigger houses, use more water, send their children to school, and visit doctors and hospitals more often. These are all areas that the Government is threatening to target! And they want our child benefit as well. Some commentators have described the Government's contribution of €150 a month to the cost of raising a child as 'a lot'. Perhaps these are these the same commentators that told us that the total cost of raising a child to 18 in Ireland is up to €300,000 - or €1,390 a month.

There are plenty of alternatives to cutting child benefit, starting at the top with Dail salaries and expenses, followed by the introduction of a fairer tax system, removal of tax reliefs apart from mortgage tax relief and the abolition of unnecessary quangos. Those changes would make a big difference.

This press release was issued today