Leahy calls for childrens allowance increase

RENuA Cllr John Leahy is calling on the government to set out a substantial increase in the children’s allowance payment in the upcoming budget.

The councillor said: “As a State we are failing families. The burden of cost on the shoulders of families as children get ready to go back to school next month is a clear example of this. Our government would claim that access to primary education and secondary education is free. Well this is the height of nonsense. “Schools find themselves desperately underfunded by the State and as a result have to call on parents to make various financial contributions. While the State makes some contribution to families on social welfare towards back to school costs, working families in particular get no relief when it comes to back to school costs. it is simply a must that the state come to the aid of these families and a substantial increase in children’s allowance payments in the next budget is a must in this context.” 

Cllr Leahy expressed his fury at how the government and Fianna Fáil don’t seem to realise how much families are suffering out there. “The upcoming budget will be formulated by this government with the support of Fianna Fáil. Yet we seem to see no definite plan being put in place which would further support parents with the increasing costs of rearing children. i would have liked to have seen Fine Gael, the independent Alliance and Fianna Fáil coming together and agreeing on a plan which would have planned out a substantial increase in children’s allowance payments over the next three budgets. This would at least provide some relief for families out there who continue to encounter all sorts of massive increases in the costs of rearing children,” he concluded