
Ógra Aontú Reiterate Need for Child Benfit to Begin During Pregnancy
Ógra Aontú have called on the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, to consider extending child benefit payments to kick in from 27 weeks gestation.
Speaking today, spokesperson for the group, Lúcas Meehan said: “As a student nurse I see daily the pressure that pregnancy can put on a mother and her partner. From the minute a woman finds out she’s pregnant, both her and her partner begin to worry about finances. There is massive pressure to get everything ready for the new baby. These pressures are heightened all the more by cost of living and housing crisis currently gripping the nation”.
Mr Meehan continued “The costs of clothes and babyfood alone for the newborn can be a massive expense for families. Ógra Aontú believe that the government cannot burry it’s head in the sand when it comes to these issues and needs to face the reality of the costs involved in pregnancy and in the preparation for childbirth. For this reason, we are proposing that the child benefit should begin from 27 weeks gestation. This would result in three child benefit payments prior to the birth of the baby”
“If followed through in this year's budget, this policy would greatly improve the lives of women and their children in our country. It will help alleviate some of the financial pressure involved in having a child and help give peace of mind during the pregnancy. The state must do everything it can to protect families. Aontú is a pro life party - we believe that human rights begin in the womb - and so should child benefit” concluded Mr Meehan.
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