“It’s tone-deaf to the lived experience of women”
Suggestions to tax child benefits have been described as “tone-deaf”.
IBEC called for a tax system to be introduced on child benefits.
However, Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery-Kearney said the Government would never support it.
Parents of children under 16 can receive child benefits.
You can also get Child Benefit for children aged 16 and 17 if they are in full-time education or full-time training.
Parents of children with a disability can receive the monthly payment too.
Parents receive a monthly payment of €140.
Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery-Kearney said the suggestion is “tone deaf”.
She told Newstalk that no political party would ever consider this.
She said it’s a “very discriminatory attack” because most families rely on these benefits.
The Senator believes only a small cohort of families don’t rely on benefits.
She said it would be better to offer flexible working arrangements and remote working. Employers should offer paid maternity leave and safer workplaces for women too.
Taxing child benefits would only cause more issues for parents.
“The vast majority of working couples and working families need it,” she said.
Senator Mary Seery-Kearney said no political party would entertain this suggestion.
“They won’t, absolutely not – and morally neither should they,” she said.
Senator Seery-Kearney added, “It is reasonable that every child in the State gets a benefit.”
Is this a fair suggestion or will it only cause even more financial problems for parents?
Let us know what you think.
