Child allowance cuts driven by EU agreement

SOCIAL and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin recently confirmed that children’s allowance/child benefit will be affected by budget cuts, something Finance Minister Brian Lenihan first suggested in the last budget.

The threat to children’s allowance in the next budget is causing real concern among families who have already been severely affected by the provisions of the last two budgets.

In exchange for children’s allowance for all children and early child allowance for young children, Mr Lenihan has promised one year’s free preschool for every three-year-old child .