Cuts 'will leave children hungry

Thousands of children will be hungry and cold if the Government rolls out cost-cutting plans signed off by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it was claimed tonight.

Leading children’s rights campaigner Fergus Finlay warned any cuts in social welfare payments or the minimum wage will directly affect underprivileged youngsters across the country.

The Barnardos chief executive called on politicians not to agree to any plan that will plunge households further below the breadline.

“There are thousands of families in Ireland who live at or below the poverty line. That means there are thousands of children below the poverty line,” said Mr Finlay.

“Those children are hungry, cold and at risk of ill health because they live in damp unheated houses.

“I can’t think of a single good reason to make things worse for those children.”

Yesterday the Fund issued an academic paper, signed off by lead negotiator in Dublin Ajai Chapra, that minimum wage and dole payments should be cut.

Meanwhile embattled Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his Government are finalising a €15bn four-year savings plan, to be published tomorrow.

Social justice campaigner, Fr Sean Healy, claimed the IMF’s approach intended to save banks and big businesses while targeting the weak, poor, sick, unemployed and marginalised.

“These proposals are tailor-made to make sure the working poor group will be in deeper poverty,” he said.

Fr Healy maintained proposals to cut social welfare payments to make people go back to work were nonsense.

“What jobs are they going to take up?” asked Fr Healy. “There are 450,000 people unemployed. The jobs are not out there.”

The Society of St Vincent de Paul maintained people on social welfare and low wages should not have to pay the price for Ireland’s economic woes.

Mairead Bushnell, president of Ireland’s largest direct non profit charitable organisation, said there must be fairness in the way the budgetary deficit is tackled.

“This is not just an economic issue, it is also a social one,” said Ms Bushnell.

“The burden needs to be shared but the level of cuts being suggested for social welfare rates and the minimum wage will place a disproportionate burden on people already finding it difficult to afford a basic standard of living.

“Those who can afford it must contribute more to our economic recovery.”

Meanwhile Siptu trade union has already made it clear members will oppose wage cuts for the lowest paid.