Threat to cut child allowances must be opposed by parents

THE Government’s threat to cut children’s allowances and take the early childcare supplement for under-fives away from parents will be vehemently opposed by every caring mother and father in this State.

It is grossly unjust, and as Kathy Sinnott pointed out (Letters, August 18), cutting back on children’s allowances has nothing to do with the good of children. Rather it is about kow-towing to our EU bosses.

Kathy Sinnott is absolutely correct when she says that our Government has decided, without ever asking parents or children by the way, that 90% of our children from three years of age will be in early education outside the home by 2010. This was decided when they signed up to the EU’s Barcelona Agreement in 2002 and now they are prepared to take the few bob off parents, already at the pin of their collars trying to make ends meet.

I believed then, and I still believe it now, that this action is unconstitutional, and hopefully some caring person will take a constitutional challenge to the proposition.

Why should parents have to lose their early childcare supplement for their under-fives and take cutbacks in children’s allowances, just to pay for the stupidity of our Government signing up to a crackpot EU agreement about which the people were not consulted at the time? I have no doubt that as the realisation of the injustice of this proposition dawns on parents, they will make their voices heard loud and clear.

Many have already indicated to me that they will use the Lisbon referendum to make their feelings known to the Government. They will be voting No.

Nora Bennis

Cahaoirleach

Mothers At Home

16 Revington Park

North Circular Road

Limerick