Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My reason for tabling this question is the Labour Party's promise to the electorate not to reduce child benefit. We all know how the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, views election promises. It appears one can promise whatever one likes in election campaigns. The Government gave a commitment to protect the most vulnerable in society. It is evident from the figures which the Minister has just read into the record that, in terms of cuts in the 2012 and 2013 budgets, it is not living up to its election promises or its programme for Government.

I call on the Minister to give a commitment that child benefit will not be further reduced in the forthcoming budget and to set aside the Mangan report, which has been sat on for the past year and guided the cuts implemented in this year's budget. Does the Minister not understand the increasing distress being caused to families, in particular working class families, across this State owing to the depth of the current crisis? Child poverty is increasing and the cuts in child benefit, rather than being ring-fenced to help children, are part of an overall budgetary cut which is compounding the distress of many families in this State.

See this speech in context