Don’t make children pay for the recession - Joint NWCI and PACUB Press Conference

Published: Sunday, December 09, 2012

The week before the budget announcement NWCI and PACUB made a final joint appeal to the government not to cut child benefit. At the press conference, both organisations highlighted the significant impact any cut to child benefit would have on families in Ireland.

At the press conference Orla O'Connor, Director of the NWCI said, 'More  families than ever are  struggling to pay for the basic necessities, Child Benefit is the only state support to many families to pay for all of the costs in relation to children – food, clothing, school costs and childcare. It is also the best way to ensure no child falls out of the loop. In 2010, 8% of our children were living in consistent poverty – meaning they are missing out on basics such as hot meals or warm clothes. We know that households that have children are twice as likely to experience deprivation than households without children.'

Niamh Uí Cheallaigh, a spokesperson for PACUB stated, 'I cannot understand why the government is so intent on making children pay for a problem they did not cause, you would think that children were the cause of this recession. Child benefit as it stands does not even begin to cover the high expense of raising children in Ireland still one of the most expensive places to live in the world. Regardless of the recession the cost of living has not come down.'

See press release