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Irish Government slashes welfare payment on First Holy Communion and Confirmation

New cap set at €110, down from over €300 in 2011

By
ANTOINETTE KELLY,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Monday, February 6, 2012, 8:24 AM
Updated Monday, February 6, 2012, 10:12 AM

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Tragic girl will be buried in her Communion dress
Tragic girl will be buried in her Communion dress
Photo by Google Images


In a sharp reduction, the Irish Government is placing a cap of €110 on welfare families that are able to receive for their children’s First Holy Communion and Confirmations expenses. The cap, a marked decrease from the 2011 average payout of €303, comes in response to extravagant spending in certain areas of the country.

The Irish Times reports that a review of the welfare payouts, which was conducted by community welfare officers (CWOs), found that a whopping total of €3.4 million was paid out last year to families in need for religious occasions.

It was announced today by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, that the cap would now be set at €110, citing that the funds provided are intended for expenses that could not be foreseen.

“They [the fees] are designed to meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenses," a spokeswoman told Reuters.

Make-up, spray tans and fake nails for the girls celebrating their First Communion or Confirmation account for some of the extra, and mostly unnecessary, costs added to the events.
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“In the Dublin area the practice had grown up where the average payment was over €300,” said Burton. Areas west and south of Dublin did not see such high payouts.

In fact, some 5,000 payouts were made in the Dublin area, while only 25 were made in the total of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, reports The Irish Times. Burton made the point that more extravagant religious ceremonies were a more Eastern county tradition as opposed to the Western ones.

Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore said that the guidelines for the welfare had not been reviewed since 1995, and that alterations would be made in order to reflect the realities of 2012.

“There are parts of the country where the application of the payments varies," added Gilmore.

Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald criticized Burton’s reviews, stating that she believed they were all a part of Burton’s crusade against the poor of Ireland.

​
See more: Irish Catholic Church , Irish Government , Irish economy , News from Ireland
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7 Comments

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IrelandNorth | Feb 08, 2012, 07:54 AM EST
The should retrospectively review the charitable status of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, (a multi-billion/multi-national corporation with tax-exempt status and inestimable plunder in its vaults in Rome). Why should overburdened taxpayers subsidise such ceremonials, any more than bailing fat cat banker-cronies of successive political stooges. Revenue from the Religion Industry could then pay for such.

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Portia777 | Feb 07, 2012, 09:30 AM EST
Get the ROMAN church out of Eire's affairs once and for all. Then no need to dress little boys and girls up for Roman ceremonies.Communion a cannibal ceremony. Do we want that? Confirmation? The spirir is in us all since birth, so why pay men of god to role play it and take our money. Even my 4 year old worked this all out be herself.

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ciaradexy | Feb 07, 2012, 05:56 AM EST
Religion is a choice. Why are my taxes being used to fund someones religious traditions? Scrap this payment altogether.

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Murph46 | Feb 06, 2012, 12:36 PM EST
In Dublin fair City,where welfare payments are pretty I first set my eyes on First Communion Sue She smiled when she received it,and gladly conceived it I'd get none of course ,If I were a Jew!

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Nicomax | Feb 06, 2012, 12:36 PM EST
Is this the 1950's or what? I agree it's long past time for Ireland to join the big boys in the Western world and understand all government is secular all the time.

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Nicomax | Feb 06, 2012, 11:10 AM EST
I'm w/ joma5004 100%!! No government should be handing out money to facilitate religious rites of any persuasion.

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joma5004 | Feb 06, 2012, 09:44 AM EST
Why is the Irish government passing out welfare checks for religious rites? This is insane! If these people want to have elaborate dress then let them pay for it themselves and not rely on handouts from the government. Welfare is supposed to pay for clothing, food, heat and shelter. It should not pay for religious preening.

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