Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

noting:

- the ongoing high cost of raising children in Ireland today and the significant cuts that have already been made to family income;

- that the early childcare supplement will be abolished from January;

- the continuing very high cost of child care;

- that every child deserves to be cherished and recognised by the State, regardless of the circumstances of its parents;

- that there is now no recognition of children in the tax system;

- that the universal nature of the current system of child benefit does not disincentivise work or add to poverty traps; and

- that a banded approach to child benefit would create several serious anomalies, discriminate against certain children and parents, create new poverty traps, and, in some circumstances, discourage participation in the workforce;

believes that cutting child benefit would be far more deflationary than alternative revenue raising or cost-saving measures open to the Government; and

calls on the Government to maintain child benefit at the current level in the forthcoming budget."

I wish to share time with Deputies Burton and Tuffy.

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