Children Face a 'Black Christmas'

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature

Friday December 11, 2009 16:26

by PACUB - Protest Against Child Unfriendly Budget

Minister Lenihan Slashes Child Benefit

Cutting Child Benefit
Like Taking Candy from a Baby

Children face a 'Black Christmas' as Minister Lenihan slashes child benefit by 10% in the 2010 Budget. Family incomes are being attacked from every side in this Budget, but the Government has chosen to target children for the biggest cut of all. Parents' group PACUB is horrified by the Budget, and predicts that more and more families will fall into poverty as the new decade begins.

“This Government seems to have an obsessive need to cut child benefit,” says PACUB spokesperson, Treasa Dovander. “The very principle that they have chosen to go after our children while propping up Zombie banks sickens us to the core. Families have long memories and will not forgive this Government for making our children pay the price for the mistakes of the banks and developers. For the second time this year the Government is attacking families. Already we are to lose the Early Childcare Supplement, Child Benefit for 18 years olds and Mortgage Interest Relief, and pay more in taxes and levies. At the next election, Government parties will regret their actions today.”

For eight months PACUB has campaigned on behalf of families and explained the importance of child benefit. In October a petition signed by over 16,000 families was handed in calling on the Government to leave child benefit alone. Group members have protested, met with Minister Hanafin, and appealed to her face-to-face not to move ahead with this idea. Opposition parties support PACUB's arguments, and have produced Budget submissions that show how savings can be made without cutting child benefit. A joint press conference with OPEN, One Family, the Children’s Rights Alliance and the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) was held to demonstrate to the government how a cut, any cut would push families who are already struggling over the edge. They did not listen.

The Government has disregarded the thousands of worried voices of Irish families and moved ahead despite warnings that they will harm children and disadvantage families. How can the government claim to be protecting the vulnerable when they take an axe to child benefit?

“We dispute talk of the cost of living having fallen - we have seen increases in childcare costs in the past year,” says Ms Dovander. “We know that fees for doctors, dentists and health insurance have gone up. Many PACUB members say that their food bills are now starting to climb as well. A 10% cut will just strangle families struggling to survive. We also believe that this is just the start. If families take this without a fight, it will set a precedent, and there will be more cuts next year, and into the future as further savage budgets are promised.”

PACUB (Protest Against Child Unfriendly Budget) set out to give a voice to everyone who believed that the supplementary budget in April unfairly targeted families. On-line and paper petitions gave people the opportunity to be counted, and tell Brian Cowen to leave child benefit alone.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Greens sellout

by Dave Grey - Independent

Fri Jan 08, 2010 00:11

I am disgusted at the way the most vulnerable in society have been treated by this Government!

I have ran as a Candidate in 3 elections for the Green Party (2 local, 1 General), I resigned from the Party over Christmas and believe the Green Party have become a right wing puppet of FF,
The Greens have sold out on many of it's promises, in particular as a Party protecting the future of our Children, I am thoroughly disgusted by them, To think I have dedicated 10 years of my life to a Party which swiftly kicked everyone in the head is maddening to say the least!

Over 500 members have left the Green Party in 2009, many of them are people like myself that have been in the Party an awful long time, sure a lot of new members have joined, mainly single upwardly mobile PD type gold diggers that like to breast feed from Eamon Ryans bosom!

We need a new, radical, Social Democrat Green Party in Ireland, one that believes in true democracy & looks after the poor, not Bankers, developers, Shell & BSKYB!

No Justice for Those Who Have Robbed Us - Official

by Fred Johnston

Mon Jan 04, 2010 18:17

Reiterating virtually word for word his master's voice, Brian Lenihan reassured is on RTE's News at One that the rogue bankers (such as Sean Fitzpatrick) would not be pursued by any embarrassing investigations. Now there's a surprise. Speaking patronising nonsense on the matter, he said that our image abroad would suffer (no, I am not making this up!) if time was spent bringing an investigation to bear on how the banks that we are now propping up were brought to their knees. He's wise enough to know that our image abroad has already suffered and suffers more each day we don't get a 'Madoff Moment' to prove there is justice for all in Ireland. But Fianna Fáil are pledged to protect the rogues in banking as they protected them in politics. Remember Bertie going up every tree in North Dublin? The interdependency, FF-Banks-Developpers, cannot be tampered with and besides, God knows what the likes of Seanie and pals would come out with if they were standing in a dock. So rest assured, Fianna Fáil have told us: the blind can beg in the streets, children will be deprived, the unemployed can rot, senior civil servants (yes, Brianeen was on justifying this too) will receive barely-noticeable deductions in their wages, the rich will never be taxed - the Protected Ones will not face their day in court. The government has said so. Will we protest? No. Too busy downing pints, giving out in the pub (which is where we belong, after all) and watching Big Brother. Back home, then, we poor proles trot, wondering what our wife's name is, forgetting what we called the kids or the dog but it doesn't matter, Man. U. are on the telly. We're so duped, doped and politically dumbed-down that we haven't the energy to realise that we're in the middle of a class war that Fianna Fáil has initiated long-since. Thick and terrified we are, and that's a bad combination.

3 Sugars, and be Quick Coco.

by Sceptic - None whatsoever

Thu Dec 31, 2009 16:45

'Cross the Line' is correct in what He/She writes ...

While Coco Cowan Runs after his 'Betters' the people of Ireland are being screwed to the wall of silence with the olde tried and trusted shut ur gob and be grateful u have a Government who cares...Cares about whom ? He would be well advised to get his persona back on track and stop playing waitress to the wealthy and cease his mini monthly budgets designed to screw the honest people who, if he had his way, would be living from hand to mouth in order to cover up for the worst set of financial figures i and many millions of people have seen for decades..Cowan took his eye off the ball when he was minister for finance in His quest to rid us of Bertie Ahearne and Cowan has proven his worth as a typical 'go boy' when he employed his back stabbing tecniques ,which are legendary , while the country was in financial crisis..

Cowan is a National Disgrace of that there is no doubt and should simply resign or lead...The former would be in every bodys interest in the long term ...He is leader to the biggest Rat Pack of Ministers on record ..The old age pensioners stopped Him In His tracks while the rest of the various age groups could not gather as much momentum even though we purport to know it all in relation to crooked banksters in suits who seemingly are free to congregate amongst us on a daily basis without fear of retribution from Fianna Fail led by Brian Cowan.

Pharoah, let my people go!

by Cross The Line

Fri Dec 18, 2009 22:19

And here we go again.
Now the government are chucking another two or so BILLION at the EBS / Nationwide sluts. This is after screwing the ordinary, law biding citizens of this nation in the recent viscious budget.

I thought the government was supposed to work for the people of a nation. Is that not what they are paid for? OR, are they now attempting to enslave Irish citizens to the financial institutions of this country? Seems to look that way. If my business got into trouble through my complete and total mismanagement, would a bank help me? Eh? No chance. So, would it be acceptable for me to blackmail the people in the community I live for funds to refloat my business with the proviso that I would pay them back, sometime?

We as Irish people are being conned every which way including sideways. Turned into slaves to serve the financial institutions. To pay for thier decadence, gambling and incredible imprudence. I mean what the phuque is going on here?
We are being sleep walked into this by a government devoid of morals or principle. I am no ones slave and they will not screw me.

In the meantime Brian Clown is in Copenhagen pretending to be of some importance to someone, but who? Like he will make a difference? Leave him there for all the use he is, maybe he can run and get coffee for Obama and the lads.

Burn Baby Burn!

Thu Dec 17, 2009 18:53

Burn Baby Burn!
Ah please, what can you possibly expect from this bunch of bullies. This shower of numbskulls have systematically destroyed the Irish economy through rank complacency, shear laziness and self serving greed. These yobs are not interested in serving the people or the interest of the nation. They are simply interested in staying in power long enough to grab another term of service to benefit thier pensions. The noble thing for this government to do would be to stand down. But as we know, this government does not do noble.

Brian Clown and Brian Lendahand:
"Children? What are those yokes?" Are they some kind of sustainable fuel source? Is that what the ripped off and financially broken home owners that we screwed use as fuel for home heating these days? Or do they eat them? Are they an alternative cuisine for Christmas Dinner in a recession and are they tender? Is there much meat on them? I know that we have stuffed them but we have never eaten one, does one use cranberry sauce with them?

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Children Face a 'Black Christmas'

Comments (5 of 5)