Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The ideological opposition to taxes begets this attitude. This cut is unnecessary as the books can be balanced without it. If the Government wants to target high earners in the budget, it should go after their income, as that would be more beneficial to the economy.

Child benefit is a payment to children in an attempt to cherish all children equally and in recognition of the State's failure to provide services such as free education or child care. That point has been lost as the debate today has focused on income of parents as opposed to the payment to children. It is also, by and large, a payment directly to women.

Women are more likely to be in poverty and to have to deal with the consequences of poverty, particularly in a family situation in having to provide for their children. This will create additional considerable hardship to women. I appreciate my time is up but it is incorrect that we should have had such a short time to debate such an important issue. I hope the Minister will return to debate it again in the future.