Sir, - The Irish Times Editorial (February 8th) expressed disappointment that the option of substantial increases in Child Benefit was ruled out as one of the "demand side supports" recommended by the recently published Childcare Report.
The Combat Poverty Agency was also disappointed with this aspect of the report. The Child Benefit route has distinct advantages over tax relief as a direct subsidy to parents trying to pay for childcare. The problem with tax relief is that it links childcare directly to employment, benefiting those at work and not those on the lowest incomes. Yet a broad understanding of childcare recognises that as well as benefiting working parents, childcare and pre-school services can also provide an educational role for children and a social support role in alleviating family stress or isolation - regardless of the employment status of parents. Child Benefit creates no unemployment or poverty traps and could provide access to social and educational support for young children of all parents as well as a subsidy towards childcare for working parents.
Child benefit is critical at a more general level in the struggle against the serious problem of child poverty facing our society and in securing the rights of children. Economically this country has never had a better opportunity to make a significant investment in children, improving the quality of life for children now and in the future. The need for this investment is acute given that the most recently available evidence from Eurostat showed that in 1993 Ireland had the second highest national rate of child poverty in the EU.
In this light the Combat Poverty Agency believes that over the next six months the Interdepartmental Committee announced by Minister John O'Donoghue should include in its examination of the issues the role of childcare in combating child poverty. It should ensure that whatever strategies are implemented, both in relation to supporting supply and demand for childcare, have been "poverty-proofed".
Last summer the Cabinet introduced "poverty-proofing" across all Government departments as part of the Government's National Anti-Poverty Strategy. This is a mechanism for assessing significant policy proposals, at design or review stage, for their impact on people in poverty or at risk of poverty. The task ahead of the Interdepartmental Committee provides an ideal opportunity to put the agreement on "poverty-proofing" into practice in decision-making on this most important area of social policy. - Yours, etc., Hugh Fraser,
Director, Combat Poverty Agency, Conyngham Road, Islandbridge, Dublin 8.