The government has left middle-income families behind in its recently announced back to school support, Ourselves claimed today.
eader Mary Lou McDonald called on the coalition to “follow the logic of your own argument” by helping those households who are not eligible for social assistance benefits.
The government was “certainly not saying that” households on €621 a week were “at home and clean” and that it was “smooth sailing for them”, she said.
The new moves caused significant numbers to struggle, she said.
Minister of Public Expenditure, Michael McGrathacknowledged that there were income limits for the newly announced back-to-school support.
But Sinn Féin usually chose the lowest, he said.
On Tuesday, ministers announced an additional €100 in back-to-school payments for students.
The amount for 4 to 11-year-olds will increase to € 260 and that for each student over the age of 12 to € 285.
The move will benefit 260,000 children and 150,000 families, Mr McGrath said.
He pointed out that the government would also abolish school transport costs for next year, saving families €500 a year.
The free hot meal program will also be extended to all DEIS schools and will now feed 60,000 students.
The total costs of the new measures amount to 67 million euros.
Mr McGrath said Sinn Féin’s “renewed advocacy for middle-income families” would fool no one.
The party’s recent emergency budget proposals did not include any measure related to back to school, he said, and last year’s alternative budget had not offered an increase in the clothing and footwear allowance for students.
But on the new concessions, he added: “For many, it won’t go far enough. We recognize that.”
However, Mr McGrath said the government’s latest budget had foreseen an extra €400 a year for those earning €700 a week.
But Ms McDonald said: “Given the deepening crisis in the cost of living and for weeks now, we have been telling you that parents now have to go to school with huge costs and that a fall budget for families would be long overdue.
“Time and again, ministers queued to echo the government’s mantra that the 2023 budget — nearly three months away — was the only way to help.
And then yesterday at dinner, after weeks of stubbornness and only two hours before a motion by Sinn Féin calling on the government to act, your position changed.
“Suddenly it was possible for the government to intervene with an increase in the percentage of the education allowance for those who already received that payment.
“You could have saved all those families weeks of worry by making this announcement and making this decision earlier. However, I welcome the turnaround of your government.”