113,000 Irish children are in consistent poverty,
The weekly welfare payment to the poorest children in the State is being increased.
After an eight-year “freeze”, the Child Dependant Allowance, which goes to the children under 18 year of parents on welfare, is to rise from €29.80 per week to €31.80.
“The meagre increase of €2 in the ‘qualified child’ will do little to address child poverty – it won’t even cover the cost of a loaf of bread and litre of milk. Funds would have been better spent committed to a substantial increase in the rate for over-12s, recognising the increased cost of raising a teenager,” said Fergus Finlay, chief executive of Barnardos.
Why so little when all other weekly welfare payments are going up by €5 a week.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty said the reason the CDA was not increased more was “because we didn’t have more”.
Is it true, however, that the Government “didn’t have more”?
€400 million in tax cuts was announced in Tuesday’s budget. Providing the poorest children in the State with an additional €3 a week would have cost about €62.4 million.
The weekly welfare payment to the poorest children in the State is being increased.
After an eight-year “freeze”, the Child Dependant Allowance, which goes to the children under 18 year of parents on welfare, is to rise from €29.80 per week to €31.80.
“The meagre increase of €2 in the ‘qualified child’ will do little to address child poverty – it won’t even cover the cost of a loaf of bread and litre of milk. Funds would have been better spent committed to a substantial increase in the rate for over-12s, recognising the increased cost of raising a teenager,” said Fergus Finlay, chief executive of Barnardos.
Why so little when all other weekly welfare payments are going up by €5 a week.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty said the reason the CDA was not increased more was “because we didn’t have more”.
Is it true, however, that the Government “didn’t have more”?
€400 million in tax cuts was announced in Tuesday’s budget. Providing the poorest children in the State with an additional €3 a week would have cost about €62.4 million.
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