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07/06/2016
Clarification Needed On Child Benefit Link To School Attendance
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, has been urged to clarify "once and for all" if child benefit is to be linked to school attendance.
Making the call, Sinn Féin's spokesperson for children Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said: "This rumour has spun on for long enough. The government needs to issue a statement and provide some clarity around its future plans regarding the linking of child benefit to school attendance. Minister Denis Naughton has said that it is a proposal that Fine Gael TD's have indicated they will support. This needs to be qualified, or put to bed.
"I'm surprised that this proposal has once again emerged as a possibility. It has been a remarkably poor idea from the beginning as it would disproportionally affect those children who already find themselves at a distinct disadvantage, and that come from already heavily marginalised backgrounds.
"I have oral questions with the Minister later this week and I shall be using my time to raise this issue with Minister Zappone, with the expectation of a satisfactory answer which either qualifies or quashes this ridiculous proposal. I am both hopeful and expectant that it will be the latter."
(MH)
Making the call, Sinn Féin's spokesperson for children Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said: "This rumour has spun on for long enough. The government needs to issue a statement and provide some clarity around its future plans regarding the linking of child benefit to school attendance. Minister Denis Naughton has said that it is a proposal that Fine Gael TD's have indicated they will support. This needs to be qualified, or put to bed.
"I'm surprised that this proposal has once again emerged as a possibility. It has been a remarkably poor idea from the beginning as it would disproportionally affect those children who already find themselves at a distinct disadvantage, and that come from already heavily marginalised backgrounds.
"I have oral questions with the Minister later this week and I shall be using my time to raise this issue with Minister Zappone, with the expectation of a satisfactory answer which either qualifies or quashes this ridiculous proposal. I am both hopeful and expectant that it will be the latter."
(MH)
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