Budget neglected child poverty, committee says

Ottoline Spearman

Budget 2026 was not focused on child poverty, a Children’s Committee has heard.

The Government has billed the spending and tax measures as focusing on the most vulnerable in society.

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, said it was the largest Child Support Payment increase in the history of the State, with a weekly increase of €16 to €78 for children aged 12 and over (a 26 per cent increase), and a weekly increase of €8 to €58 for children under 12 (a 16% increase)

It also included a €10 rise in core social welfare payments.

However, Suzanne Rogers from Social Justice Ireland said the Budget did little to tackle core issues.

Speaking on Newstalk, she said: "None of the decisions we see anywhere across government or policy, I think, are looking at what Ireland should look like in 2040 or 2050 or 2060.

"The budget... we were led to believe it was going to be a child poverty budget.

"Apart from the qualified child payment, there was really nothing in it for low-income families."