Minister’s child benefit a model of inequality

I WAS impressed by your budget coverage (Irish Examiner, December 2), especially your front page table outlining how our rulers will benefit.

I noticed how the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, on a Dáil salary of €185,109, with a working spouse and three children under 16, is entitled to child benefit.

This fact underlines the heartlessness of his action in denying child benefit to asylum seekers, refugees and all other immigrants resident in Ireland for under two years with children under 16.

Combined with the habitual residency rule and other measures that this minister has taken, an asylum seeker getting €19.10 per week is living on 0.54% of Mr McDowell’s Dáil salary.

Since the minister has declared himself in favour of inequality, I suppose we cannot accuse him of preaching water and drinking wine.

Ray Hanrahan

7 Adelaide Place

Gardiner’s Hill

Cork