Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is a very weak defence of what has occurred, because the Tánaiste was categoric in respect of the child benefit issue and how families are finding it extremely difficult to rear children given the associated costs. The Tánaiste has articulated a view that also has been articulated by the Minister for Finance. He used the phrase that it is correcting an anomaly. Pregnant women are not an anomaly and the bottom line is that €450 per month is a savage cut by any yardstick. While people are taking cuts across the board, the idea of imposing such a large amount on one particular family income is excessive. This will affect 48,000 women per year, that is, working women who also have contributed to PRSI. It is excessive to do this in one fell swoop and it should be reviewed.

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