Republican Network for Unity’s National Secretary, Fiona Ní Dhuigenáin has slammed the proposals of the IMF targeting of universal welfare payments, such as Child Benefit and medical card entitlements.
Says Ms Ní Dhuigenáin , “means tested payments already have stringent criteria and a single euro over the income limits results in a reduced payment or in some cases, complete non entitlement.”
For families who are wealthy, the removal or reduction in child benefit will go unnoticed. But for any of the 700,000 people with children already living in poverty, this will have devastating effects. 2012 has already seen documented reports of children collapsing in school from hunger as their parent could not afford enough food.
Given that there are such appalling living conditions for so many recipients of Child Benefit or other welfare payments, is indicative of the increasing levels of child poverty in Ireland today.
She continued, “for a so-called Irish government to even give this any consideration is shameful and to target children in cost cutting measures is bordering on child abuse. The rights of a child to have a quality of life should never be compromised by any government.”
The gap between rich and poor is widening and deepening as a direct result of the Irish governments failings and tolerance of creative accounting practices by those in privileged positions.
Ms Ní Dhuigenáin concluded, “RNU calls on the 26 County government to reject the demands of the IMF ensuring our children have a quality life and to direct cost saving measures to the wealthy. Leave our children alone”.
Negative Impact of Child Benefit Cuts
ReplyDeleteRepublican Network for Unity’s National Secretary, Fiona Ní Dhuigenáin has slammed the proposals of the IMF targeting of universal welfare payments, such as Child Benefit and medical card entitlements.
Says Ms Ní Dhuigenáin , “means tested payments already have stringent criteria and a single euro over the income limits results in a reduced payment or in some cases, complete non entitlement.”
For families who are wealthy, the removal or reduction in child benefit will go unnoticed. But for any of the 700,000 people with children already living in poverty, this will have devastating effects. 2012 has already seen documented reports of children collapsing in school from hunger as their parent could not afford enough food.
Given that there are such appalling living conditions for so many recipients of Child Benefit or other welfare payments, is indicative of the increasing levels of child poverty in Ireland today.
She continued, “for a so-called Irish government to even give this any consideration is shameful and to target children in cost cutting measures is bordering on child abuse. The rights of a child to have a quality of life should never be compromised by any government.”
The gap between rich and poor is widening and deepening as a direct result of the Irish governments failings and tolerance of creative accounting practices by those in privileged positions.
Ms Ní Dhuigenáin concluded, “RNU calls on the 26 County government to reject the demands of the IMF ensuring our children have a quality life and to direct cost saving measures to the wealthy. Leave our children alone”.