Childcare payment criticism 'not racist'

Fine Gael today rejected accusations that its criticism of childcare payments to migrant workers were racist.

The party sparked a political storm when it said that the Government had not budgeted for the requirement to pay the new €1,000 childcare allowance to migrant workers, even if their children were not resident here.

Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan said the Government had properly budgeted for the payment and accused Fine Gael of being racist.

Fine Gael social and family affairs spokesman David Stanton said this was an appalling suggestion.

“He’s trying to divert away attention from his own incompetence. What we’re saying is this is a budgetary situation, it’s simply a question of doing the sums right, if they did the sums at all,” he said.

There are 166,000 migrant workers from the EU now working in Ireland and Fine Gael claims that if one third of them claims their entitlement to the €1,000 childcare allowance for children under six, it could cost €150m.

Under EU rules, welfare benefits have to be paid to all workers even if the child is living outside the state. This provision has been used by Irish workers in other EU countries.

Mr Stanton said migrant workers were very benefical to the economy but added that the Government should look at a different way of administering the payment, such as through a voucher system.

“This is a totally new payment designed to help parents of children in this country. In other countries they don’t have the same childcare costs as we have. Our childcare costs have gone through the roof, they’re out of control,” he told RTÉ radio.