Child benefit tax ‘for those who can afford it’

MOTHERS should continue to receive child benefit with the tax applying only to those who couldafford it, Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin said last night.

She said she could understand why an organisation like the National Women’s Council of Ireland would be against means testing or taxing child benefit.

“If you interfere with a universal payment, of course that impacts on people. We have seen that before but, in the times we are in, it is really important that we are fair and we try to take as much money from those who can afford to pay rather than those who can’t,” she said.