A chara, – In light of research showing that the most vulnerable groups are already disproportionately paying for the misdeeds of bankers, regulators and inept politicians, Budget 2012 displays a stunning lack of empathy by the Labour-Fine Gael Government.

Cuts in child benefit for large families, changes to the One-Parent Family Payment, and the targeting of young disabled people through cuts in disability benefit are just some of the retrograde measures introduced in this Budget, which further threaten to entrench inequality in this country.

Fortunately though for our political elite, they need not actually learn of the experiences of women, the disabled, and a host of other groups attacked in Budget 2012, given that they’ve also reduced funding to or entirely annihilated their respective representative bodies. As the National Women’s Council, Safe Ireland, and People with Disabilities in Ireland, among others, take the hit, and with them the people they support, it really appears to be true what they say: ignorance is bliss. – Is mise,

Dr CLARA FISCHER,
Co-ordinator,
Irish Feminist Network


Link: http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/