Childcare promises quickly forgotten by FF and FG
Childcare promises quickly forgotten by FF and FG - The Labour Party
- Early years sector in crisis
- People with disabilities will be €1,400 worse off
- FF promised and failed to abolish the Carer’s Allowance means test
Responding to the Budget published today, Labour’s social protection spokesperson Mark Wall TD said today is a total let down for workers in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have failed to follow through on their commitments to parent during the General Election with zero recognition of rising costs for people in this country.
Deputy Wall said:
“We needed to see real and radical policy change towards a public model of early years education and school-aged childcare, one that delivers equality for children, affordability for parents, and fairness for providers. Instead, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have gone back on their promise to deliver €200 per month childcare and have left the early years sector in crisis.
“Extra childcare places will be of little to use parents who can’t even afford to pay the fees for a place. This budget should have funded a suite of measures aimed at addressing the workforce challenges facing the sector, reducing costs for parents while also increasing the number of childcare places.
“These are some of the radical actions that the Labour Party proposed to take as we build a public system, one that values the early years sector as a key part of the education system. It is clear now government has no intention of reducing childcare fees or implementing a public model, and it is highly unlikely to achieve either during its term in office.
“While I acknowledge the increase in the income disregards for the Carer’s Allowance, this is again putting abolishing the means test on the long finger. It wouldn’t have taken much more from the government to end the means test but family carers will have to wait another year for this to be fully abolished. It is also deeply appalling that government have ignored people with disabilities who are also struggling.
“While government wastes nearly €700 million on an untargeted VAT rate cut for big hospitality, it could have both introduced a Cost of Disability payment starting at €25 per week and abolish the Carer’s Allowance means test which are two key measures proposed in the Labour Party’s alternative budget.
“With the loss of once-off payments, people with disabilities will be €1,400 worse off next year, this isn’t spare cash people having lying around, it’s what keeps them just above the poverty line. It is also disappointing that government did not mention the urgent need to create employment opportunities for those with a disability.
“A €10 increase in core weekly social welfare rates is a paltry amount for many people on fixed incomes like pensioners who are deciding between eating and turning on the heating. An increase of at least €16 per week was needed to keep up with the cost of living, while additional increases were also needed in Child Benefit and a targeted second tier payment should have also been a priority for this budget. These households will be under more pressure amidst a growing cost-of-living crisis.
“This is a budget that puts the profits of fast-food chains and property developers before working families struggling to put food on the table, afraid to look at their energy bills, or trying to pay for childcare. It’s a ‘punch to the stomach’ budget for ordinary working families.”