child benefit to be increased by €5

[Brendan Burgess]

And a further €5 the following year if circumstances allow

 

[sisterjoan]

I think much about this budget is crazy but especially this one. We already have had too high a rate of children's allowance in this country as compared to other countries and it should have been left as it was in my view. The money would have been better spent in health care, childcare or education. There was never any huge outcry about it's reduction and I don't think any child suffered much because of it. It's just a budget to buy people.

 

[pc7]

There had been a lot in the media about how women had been affected most in the last number of budgets due to cuts in child benefit, taxation on maternity pay etc. I reckon this was to try counter that.

 

[RedDevil]

It would be more equitable to abolish child benifit, rather than increase it.

 

[phileasfogg]

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/soci...ear-bottom-after-recession-increase-1.1979258

People in Ireland (who don't have children?) seem to be really against children's allowance. But we have very high childcare costs, medical cost, electricity costs, food costs, education costs compared to Europe. Are the children in Ireland not entitled to something back? 5 euro a month will cover one visit to a GP at weekend a year,( free to those in UK - again very little support for free GP care for children here).
For children under 5 (which my 2 are), 129 euro a month has been deducted from each child in Early childhood supplement and Child Benefit. 5 euro a month back is surely a good thing??