Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In fact, as recently as last week, people from the IMF suggested we reconsider the universal payment of child benefit. People are entitled to their views and there is a range of them. For example, the same people advised Fianna Fáil to cut basic social welfare payments by €16.40 per week.

Fianna Fáil accepted that advice. I did not. We maintained the core social welfare payments, the weekly rate.

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