Criticism of failure to tackle childhood smoking or obesity in Budget

Budget 2022 delivered "a triple whammy against children's health", according to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) which pointed to what it regards as a failure to tackle smoking, e-cigarette use and obesity.

As the charity sector began reacting to the various spending and tax moves on Tuesday, the IHF accused the Government of complacency toward the health of children.

"Our teen smoking rate is on the rise for the first time in a quarter of a century and there has been huge growth in vaping, which may be fuelling the upsurge in tobacco use," said director of advocacy Chris Macey.

"In addition, the World Health Organisation predicted Ireland was on course to become the country with the highest obesity rate in Europe even before the pandemic sparked an increase in junk food consumption and reduced physical activity levels."

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While the Government raised tax on cigarettes by a further 50 cent, the IHF had hoped for an introduction of tax on e-cigarettes and a broad sugar tax targeted at food companies.

However, other measures proved more popular. Barnardos, the children's charity, welcomed the equalisation of thresholds for the Back to School Allowance for one and two parent families, an issue it had campaigned for.

The move was also welcomed by the Society of St Vincent de Paul which said extra support for back-to-school costs was important.

“SVP has been supporting even more families this year who struggle with the costs of education. Higher rates equalising support for lone parents is a step in the right direction,” it said.

However, while satisfied with budgetary increases in social protection it said Tuesday’s announcements were insufficient to “keep people afloat in light of rising costs of essential needs”.

Active Retirement Ireland (ARI) said the Budget does not contain enough to give older people a good quality of life.

The €5 increase in the State pension, a major pre-Budget talking point, was insufficient to meet living costs, particularly in the context of escalating energy costs, according to the charity.

‘Short-term view’

Chief executive Maureen Kavanagh, described the pension move as a "short-term view" and said the increase should have been €15.

“Failing to bring the state pension to a rate of 34 per cent of average weekly earnings and not triple-locking it to guarantee it increases in line with the rate of inflation or average earnings growth, demonstrates a lack of longer term planning that the Government promised older people,” she said.

Both the National Women's Council (NWC) and the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) welcomed the roll out of free contraception but, as is to be expected with Budget reaction, the positivity was qualified.

“Women already entered the pandemic from an unequal place and the social and economic consequences of this global crisis are disproportionately borne by women,” said NWC director Orla O’Connor.

“While we acknowledge the positive measures, for example in relation to childcare and parents leave, this Budget is tinkering with an unequal system…we are still missing the transformative investment into our social welfare system and public services infrastructure that would tackle the wide-ranging structural inequalities that women experience.”

The IFPA said the contraception funding was a “landmark” move that would empower women.

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) said, however, that the Budget would do nothing to reduce structural barriers for the people it represents.

June Tinsley, head of advocacy, said issues around inclusion and accessibility to the built environment and digital world will remain alongside a heightened risk of poverty.

“The €5 increase in basic social welfare payments is not enough to offset the increased cost of living,” she said. “But efforts to improve their educational experience with the increase in availability of SNAs in schools and ICT grants to school are welcomed.”