Sir, - Amid all the rhetoric about "payback time" it is crucial that the forthcoming Budget gives due consideration to the needs of children.
I note with interest recent Government financial commitments to everything from a £250 million investment in educational technology to a £5 million grant towards hosting the Tour De France. While appreciating the value of these initiatives, I wonder how much of the Budget will be given to the less prominent but invaluable work of serving the needs of our society's most vulnerable group - children. Although each successive government has emphasised the need for greater investment in child support infrastructure, investment in arguably less crucial projects with more public relations appeal seems to be taking precedence.
If the Government is to honour pre-election promises, there will be a need to increase expenditure on vital resources. The scenario of neglected and abused children being left to fend for themselves and families in need of support being ignored is not acceptable in any civilised society, never mind one experiencing an unprecedented economic boom. - Yours, etc.,
National co-ordinator, The CARI Foundation for Sexually Abused Children, Lower Drumcondra Road, Dublin 9.