THE GOVERNMENT has been accused of hypocrisy in talking about a referendum on children’s rights while “planning to take €10” from poor families in child benefit.

In the Dáil Taoiseach Enda Kenny refused to rule out child benefit cuts or reductions in the lone parent’s allowance in the budget, but insisted no decisions had been made.

“I’m not going to answer in respect of the Cabinet now and the final decisions it will make. Nor should I. But I obviously am aware of the difficulties for all Ministers in cutting back in a situation where these things are never easy,” he said.

During Leaders’ Questions, Independent TD for Dublin North Central Finian McGrath called on Mr Kenny not to play games on child benefit when the Taoiseach said there had been speculation on various measures, and that this was “perfectly normal” in the run-up to the budget, and he pointed out he had heard people say “child benefit is of no particular interest to them”.

Mr McGrath said child benefit helped to reduce poverty levels for poor families, and a cut to this payment would be a “nightmare” for them. He asked Mr Kenny whether he accepted child benefit was not a slush fund for the rich but was a huge help to families, particularly those women and children at risk in dysfunctional families where the partner or husband controlled the purse strings.

“It’s a bit rich and a bit hypocritical to be talking about children’s rights referendums in the future when you’re planning to take €10 off these poor families,” he said.

Mr Kenny replied: “You saved your best rant until the last.”

The Taoiseach said the Cabinet was working on the programme for government and the mandate given to the Government to sort out our public finances and to provide a social welfare system that “incentivises work”.

Earlier, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams called on Mr Kenny to give a clear commitment there would be no cuts in child benefit. “You should take this opportunity to be as clear on this issue as you have been on issues which benefit the elite.

“When you say you can’t take money back out of pensions, when you say you can’t take the bonuses of these big bankers, when you say you have to give €700 million to the bondholders, you’re very clear about that,” he said.

“So all I’m asking that you be equally clear here today and say that the red line promises you made in the last election will be maintained in this budget and make it clear that there will be no cuts in child benefit in the budget.”

Mr Kenny said: “It is the responsibility of the Government to make decisions about the budget. This Government has set our task in fulfilling the mandate given to us by the people, to sort out our public finances, to get our deficit to 8.6 per cent, to take €3.8 billion out of the economy next year.”

He said a whole range of issues across every department had been and was being examined.

The Government, he said, would make its decision over the next few days and will make definitive decisions on all of these issues.