Labour TDs Vote against Protecting Child Benefit

Labour TDs Vote against Protecting Child Benefit

Labour and Fine Gael TDs last night voted down a Sinn Féin motion ruling out any cut in Child Benefit in the upcoming budget.

Speaking afterwards, Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien said:

“This vote has shown that Labour and Fine Gael are preparing to break commitments given in their own programme for government not to cut rates of Child Benefit.”

“ 'Protect Child Benefit – Vote Labour' declared the Labour Party posters before the General Election.”

“ 'We will maintain social welfare rates' declares the Fine Gael/Labour Programme for Government.”

“All that the Sinn Féin motion asked was that the government live up to its own promises. Yet it seems this is too much to look for from Labour and Fine Gael.”
“Yesterday we saw the release of figures showing a rise in the Live Register to 448,600. We have nearly 450,000 people unemployed, many of them with young children, many of them newly jobless and with mortgages to pay, and yet this Government is actually contemplating cutting Child Benefit.

“Fine Gael and Labour must live up to their election promises and protect the most vulnerable in our society – our children.”

For further information or comment contact Deputy Jonathan O’Brien @ 085-2133907