Cuts to communion allowance mean spirited– Seán Crowe TD

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has described as “mean spirited” the government plans to cut discretionary payments for special occasions, like a child’s first communion, for low income families.

The Tallaght-based Deputy was speaking after the announcement that the regular discretionary payment of up to €305 was to be cut to €105.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“For Christians the communion and confirmation, for Judaism the bar mitzvah or the Muslim khatme quran  are significant days in the life of a child.

“They are particularly important events for many low income families and this cut will impact severely on all of them.

“Suggestions that some families should consider clothing their children in hand-me-downs or cheap outfits shows a lack of understanding of just how big a milestone this is for families.

“The government ministers and the media pundits that are supporting these cuts are very unlikely to do the same for their own children.

“This outspoken support for cutting this discretionary allowance is in stark contrast to their silence when it comes to paying billions to faceless gamblers and speculators in the bond markets.

“The Fine Gael /Labour Government’s latest attack on low income families is mean spirited and cruel.

“Here is yet another example of the poor and the least well off being unfairly hit by another cruel austerity measure.”