PR: Abolish Tax Individualisation

Date: 15 July 2002

Abolish the system which penalises single income families

The newly appointed Board of the Family Support Agency held their first meeting on Wednesday, 10th July in the St. Stephens Green Hotel in Dublin. Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs addressed the Board before the meeting. Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs addressed the Board before the meeting. Mr Michael O'Kennedy, Senior Counsel & former Government Minister and EU Commissioner is chairperson of the new Board. The Minister spoke of the Government's commitment to the needs of families: "At a time when families are coming under increasing pressures, Government is establishing an agency to bring together all the support which families need. The State cannot and should not replace families but we can and must provide services to support families", she said.

The Mother and Child Campaigns asks the Minister to abolish the tax individualisation system which penalises single income familes. A spokeswoman for the M&C Campaign said, "the Government can't on one hand pretend to care for families, and on the other, deliberately penalise against mothers who stay at home to mind their children." She further stated that Minister Coughlan should immediately request that the tax system is re-examined so as not to penalise against single income families.

ENDS