Pro Life Campaign welcomes aspects of Budget 2025
The Pro Life Campaign, in its pre-budget submission, called for the government to radically rethink the social welfare system to reorient it towards a firmly pro-family policy to ensure that women in unplanned pregnancies, new families, and all women expecting children no matter their circumstances should never have to feel that they have “no choice” but to proceed with an abortion. This has been done in countries like Hungary, which has tallied with an annual fall in the abortion rate. By contrast, Ireland’s abortion rate continues to climb dramatically annually with in excess of 10,000 abortions being recorded in 2023. Regrettably, the government has not taken any proactive steps to ensure that pregnant women who might seek an abortion receive adequate information on alternatives to abortion, such as supports and adoption services information.
Whilst the government’s newly released Budget 2025 still falls short of the kind of fundamental reforms which we believe are necessary, there is much to be welcomed. Specifically, the below proposals are worthy of praise:
An increase in the maximum rate of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit, Paternity Benefit and Parent’s Benefit by €15.
The increases in the rate of payment for the former Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) which has been renamed the Child Support Payment.
A Newborn Baby Grant of €280 will be provided for children born on or after December 1, 2024, along with the first month’s Child Benefit payment of €140.
A one-time double payment of Child Benefit (November 2024), amounting to €280 per child, will be issued. Additionally, another one-time double payment of Child Benefit will be given in December 2024.
The introduction of the Newborn Baby Grant of €420 is particularly welcome. This payment will be a significant boost for parents and eases the costs of expecting a new baby.
The Pro Life Campaign will continue to advocate for more significant and fundamental changes to the existing social welfare system in order to advance implicitly pro-life socio-economic policies.