Fionnán Sheahan: Making Child Benefit untouchable hasn’t benefited children in the best way possible

Child Benefit was traditionally paid to the mother and was often her only source of direct income

Fionnán Sheahan

The last time a reform of Child Benefit was seriously looked at, the proposals were so unpalatable that they were buried. An examination of Child Benefit was demanded as part of the IMF-EU bailout. After all, it is a universal payment to all families, regardless of income. Millionaires continued to be paid almost €1,700 a year by the State for each child – the same as those on low incomes.

A pretty comprehensive report was compiled by the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, headed by Ita Mangan, a respected barrister and chair of the Citizens Information Board. The report took into account the societal importance of the payment and wasn’t just an actuarial study.