Savage attack on children and families in 2013 budget

Today the Government made the biggest cut yet to the only payment to our children - child benefit, after slamming Fianna Fail for making cuts when in opposition.  Yet when they walked across the Dail how quickly they forgot! Now we have broken promises and another year of harsh austerity where many will now fall through the ice and drown in the mounting debts that engulf them.

Children will go hungry and cold, but apparently this is not the Government’s problem, they do not seem to care.  Today they have hit struggling families again; they claimed they made it fair, they claimed that they are protecting the vulnerable.  They lied.

"We are struggling to see where children have been protected," says Pacub Spokesperson Niamh Ui Cheallaigh.   "Do cuts to child benefit, increases in PRSI, cuts to the back to school allowance, cuts to medical card, the new property tax, the increase of student fees, the taxing of maternity benefit, do they protect children? We are being hit again from all angles, where will it end!!

"This Government has absolutely no measure of how bad things are on the ground. They are living in a fantasy world.  This budget is anti-family and anti-child.  So much for Labour promises to protect child benefit from any more cuts. We have been left reeling and struggling to see how we will make ends meet next year.

"We will now see our economy shrink further, we will see more families fall into poverty, more families lose their homes, more unable to keep working, more unable to provide the basics, food and heat.  Do our elected TD’s care?  It seems not!!  

"This is the worst budget yet for families and children.  Children have been savagely attacked again, and the Government chose to protect the wealthy and target children again.  They should hang their heads in shame."

Come join us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pacub-Protest-Against-Cuts-to-Child-Benefit/191987877489406

Press Conference for Child Benefit

Date for your Diary

NWCI and PACUB will jointly host a Press Conference on the issue of child benefit on

                     November 30th at 10.30am in Buswells Hotel

 Children are NOT the cause of this recession but they are paying for it
NWCI and PACUB will make a joint appeal to Government to protect children

If you would like to attend please contact us on facebook search PACUB-Protest against child unfriendly budget 

 

€2 billion on child benefit is an investment not a cost.

Important please note, you are welcome to share and use the information contained in this blog, but please acknowledge PACUB when you do so, Thank you.

€2 billion on child benefit is an investment not a cost.  

Could someone please tell 

Minister Joan Burton that child benefit is an INVESTMENT not a cost?

 Recently in the Dail she has been hinting at further cuts to child benefit, and the introduction of a two-tier system for child benefit, with higher payments for lower earners and those relying on social welfare payments.

She then explained how much child benefit cost €2bn annually!! I guess this is to cause aghast and outrage and gather support to obtain these cuts.  

I wonder has the government not considered the huge impact of cutting the only payment that is an investment in our future tax payers. How this will cost them in the long term….

Yesterday a report told how 10 per cent of Irish population are living in food poverty.  This study shows that those most at risk of experiencing food poverty include those living on low incomes, families with young children, and one-parent families. What was interesting was that report author Caroline Carney said food poverty had fallen between 2005 and 2007, but the most recent data show it rising again after 2009.

Surely this has been partly caused by the elimination of the Early Childcare Supplement from Jan '10, the 10% cut to Irish child benefit in 2009, and further cuts in 2010 and 2011, with larger families taking the brunt of the cuts.  This shows how cutting child benefit has had a negative impact on children and their long term health and well-being.

We all know the dangers of not eating correctly, and food that is cheaper is often less healthy.  The occasional treat is now becoming a staple diet for many. In the longer term being unable to afford to eat well could lead to ill health and higher rates of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers heart disease. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/families-suffering-as-450000-cant-afford-to-eat-properly-3262193.html

How much will this cost the state in future years?   If our children are eating badly now, they could be affected by these diseases at much younger ages.  What price will they pay in 20 years’ time? You are what you eat.

All the 'leaks' about possible cuts, followed by other TD’s saying ‘’no decisions made yet,‘’ is  having a very negative impact on our economy.  People are afraid, austerity is not working, and the longer the government continues to cut child benefit, the longer we will wait for a recovery, and it will increase the poverty bracket with more families falling into it each year.

We need children, Ireland needs babies and lots of them: yesterday David Quinn wrote a piece on why: ‘’ This is a disaster for the future of this country. It doesn't take a genius to work out that the bigger a financial burden you place on young people and young couples, the fewer children they will have.

And the fewer children they have, the fewer future taxpayers we will have. That spells national and social bankruptcy.’’ http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/david-quinn-what-ireland-needs-is-a-lot-more-children-to-balance-generation-gap-3250280.html

I agree strongly, we need to think very carefully about cutting child benefit again before it is too late. In future years we may not have enough tax payers to pay pensions, health care and may be TD’s wages and expenses.

Child benefit was a very progressive move when introduced and improved over the years.  Are we are now going to allow the government to cut again what has become a life line for many families across all societies in Ireland? 

On the  22 of October we see a report from the Irish League of Credit Union’s what’s Left? 1.3 million Adults have less than 50 euro to spend when essential bills are paid for each month.  This shows how so many are on a thin layer of ice that is getting thinner and thinner, we see the cost of living increasing , extra taxes ,cuts to child benefit. Reducing family’s disposable income further, which again see less spending in our economy keeping us stuck in recession.  With this continued path the government is on it will be a long time before Ireland sees prosperity again. 

All of these reports clearly show how families are struggling and need a helping hand. Before it is too late, Austerity is not working cutting the one reliable dependable payment for all children will see many fall though the ice damaging our economy further.

The government may save money short term, but this will cost them so much more in the long term, and if we see many choosing not to have any children  or les , we shall see this affecting the government  pensions in years to come, when you add emigration into the mix, continued cuts to child benefit = disaster. It does not take and expert in economics to understand the consequences of our governments intended path...

Remember Invest in a child invest in a Nation

If you are concerned about cuts to child benefit, get in touch with :
PACUB -https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pacub-Protest-Against-Cuts-to-Child-Benefit/191987877489406
Also Organisers of the March which took place on 3rd of October :
 https://www.facebook.com/2Parentsagainstchildbenefitcuts?fref=tshttps://www.facebook.com/2Parentsagainstchildbenefitcuts?fref=ts
Please also sign this petitionhttp://www.causes.com/causes/795632-don-t-touch-our-child-benefit-irish-government/actions/1689390

March

Important please note, you are welcome to share and use the information contained in this blog, but please acknowledge PACUB when you do so, Thank you.

 On saturday the 3rd of November we dusted off the PACUB- protest against cuts to child benefit  banner

AND

Joined  Organisers 

''Parents against Child Benefit Cuts''

We Marched to Lenister house ,we were not thousands but we sounded like thousands. 

 we were heard and supported, over all a very positive day and we all agreed it was the start and we would continue on fighting the Government against any cuts to child benefit. 

Watch out for both Banners again on the 24 of October when we March in solidarity with other groups against cuts

Our aim is to have our message heard

''Leave child Benefit alone ''

 Pacub would also like to say a huge well done to Parents against child benefit cuts, who done an excellent job on organising the event. not an easy job to do with no big support network behind you.

Some pictures from the day and newspaper coverage 

 

And we are off 

Speech,The first speaker Hazel from Parents against child benefit cuts.