Just an idea from a mother of two wee ones…. But how about scrapping it and offering free health care for children under 16?

O Leary does get CB but his kids really need it for all the hidden extras he charges them

Why can’t it be scrapped and replaced with an educational allowance for kids in public schools in Ireland. That would eliminate claims from those living abroad.

He’s right. Why should a family earning 100k get same child benefit as single parent?
It’s a crazy system which needs to be changed.

He’s right that it’s subsidizing sex, but, crucially, only one particular type of sex.

Surely it’s time we introduced welfare payments for a wider range of sexual positions and outcomes.

He was asked his opinion this morning. He gave it. He lives and pays taxes in this country – surely his opinion is just as valid as everyone elses?

Fuck it, I’d still rather him run the country. Has anyone else in government actually made any bit of difference, that hasn’t made it harder for mid to low income families.

It’s absolutely disgraceful that everyone in Ireland is entitled to the same children’s allowance, any household with an income above 100K should get nothing unless they have more than 3 children, then they should get allowance for the 4th child only, or something like that. Anyone with extreme wealth such as Michael O Leary etc should surely not be entitled any state allowance let alone the same allowance as a single mother or a family bringing only 40 or 50K into the house between them, it’s bizarre that the government haven’t sorted this out years ago. Is it because they’d lose their allowance for their own kids if they changed the rules? More than likely yes! You look at the bankers that were earning over half a million a year, they all collect children’s allowance and between them and our politicians they brought the country to its knees. It’s hard to believe that simple things like means testing children’s allowance hasn’t been seen as a way of saving tax payers money, this is another true reflection of the incompetent apes that are running the country with zero creativity. And before anyone comments I’m not a FF supporter, I don’t support any of them, they’re all as bad as each other. I have no love for Michael O Leary but my god he’d be better than what’s there now!

Hard to believe that familes are not means tested for childrens allowance. A sliding scale could be a compromise. I dont understand overseas claimants. Are these parents of children working abroad wth children living in Ireland?

Agree with him, it should be for people with low incomes.

Four words! Should be means tested!
That’s all folks!

I’ve been using the department of social welfares child benefit information leaflet SW-42 to pull birds for years now.. I haven’t been laid since 1993.

Love him or hate him – the bottom line is MoL knows how to make clever (but often controversial) cuts to make a mega successful company – I bet he could sort out the country’s financial situation and have it back on it’s feet in no time. He doesn’t have to be (or want to be I’m sure) a cuddly, well loved person and that is what the country needs right now – someone with good ideas, who’s not afraid to be heard. (by the way – I do not like the man either but you have to admit he has made travel accessible to a lot more people in Europe the last 10 or 15 years).

Amazing, when o leary even says something that makes sense now, people accuse him of trying to get free advertising. Loved the way he dressed it up tho, classic!

So now you need to be poor AND have a family to make a point about child benefit!?!

He should know all a bout sex , he F@@ks everyone who buys a ticket for his airline

You know maybe instead of giving out child benefit it could be given in vouchers for baby items such as nappies, baby food etc when they are under 2, subsidised creche for the 2 – 5 year olds and then FREE SCHOOL BOOKS, VOUCHERS FOR UNIFORMS AND HOT LUNCHES AT LUNCH TIME IN OUR SCHOOLS. Our children would then be getting at least one good hot meal in the middle of the day, making them less likely to be sick from not eating correct foods, parents who are struggling to put food on the table would not have to worry about the cost of lunches as that would be covered along with the books and uniforms and FREE DOCTOR ALSO FOR ALL CHILDREN UNDER 16 AND OVER 16 IF STILL IN FULL TIME EDUCATION.

I don’t often agree with Michael o Leary but I do on this one.

You don’t seem to agree with the right of Some people to freedom of speech and just because someone is a successful business man isn’t a good enough reason to criticise him with abusive language – you should sort out whatever is bothering you and don’t blame someone who made a very valid comment.

“right” as usual :)

I wouldn’t mind if they means tested it as long as they means tested people’s outgoings as well as their income which isn’t always the case

More passengers for Ryanair so…

Classic!

Why can’t it be means tested?

They should scrap the child benefit and us the money to fund services that are free for children of lower-income families. This was we would know that 100% of the money is spent on the children who need it.

It’s a disgrace that in this country there are no free, state-run crèches and preschools. The availability of preschool services to all children does a lot more for equality than giving money to parents. This is a well-known, well-researched fact.

“The strongest evidence suggests that economically disadvantaged children reap long-term benefits from preschool. However, children from all other socioeconomic backgrounds have been found to benefit as well. (…) Increasing public investment in effective preschool education programs for all children can produce substantial educational, social, and economic benefits.”

http://nieer.org/resources/research/PreschoolLastingEffects.pdf

Instead of giving parents money to be spent on anything from booze and fags to new cufflinks and an extra valet for the Lexus, the State should provide services for the children themselves.

Ahh child benefit, a god given right…..

Well said hanly ole boy

Thanks Michael, exactly what I was saying on here yesterday…

Someone sit that man down and tell him about the birds and the bees…..he should have said *unprotected* sex.

Michael O Leary in charge as dictator of Ireland for say five years would = utopia

Just think someone said he should be running the country!

Well it’s not difficult to be right about this issue.

I agree with Hugh, child benefit, should be means tested, that’s it.

What a LEGEND!!

The trouble with means testing is that it will invariably mean that the middle to high earners miss out and sooner or later they resent that they are subsidizing the poor… Resentment leads to hostility and ideals of social cohesion fall away… In any case the subsidies are spent in the economy or taxed… Wealth redistributed back to the government anyway sooner or later

Well said paid ;)

More advertising for himself and his airline…. like he
Gives a shit about childrens allowance

Classic

Obviously donal ya don’t remember paying nearly a weeks wages to go to England, he says it as it is, child benefit is commonly known in some parts as ” Micky money” I could go on and on but I assure you, if some of the scum I know we’re to get say, €50 children’s allowance , they would think twice ( if that was even possible) of wearing there ankles around there ear…MOL could change this country, like him or not.

Form what I remember you have to apply to receive CB so MoL must have applied for it at some time in his poor past

ah F##k off o’leary you clown. All he’s after is free advertising. His crap service airline could do without all their extra charges but they don’t do they. They charge us €10 for a debit card transaction that cost them around 20 cent. Not hats a a real rip off !!

Sorry, why is anybody entertaining the possibility that this is anything more than a cheap publicity trick by Michael O’Leary? He knows full well if he makes a controversial comment his name and the name of his airline will make it into the newspaper, for free! I doubt he gives a shite about the children’s allowance or much else beyond what directly effects his company’s profit.

Once every couple of months he floats a ludicrous rumour for the exact same reason – getting rid of toilets on aircraft, inflight porn, etc! When will the media stop giving this douche airtime?

One of the main functions of child benefit was to alleviate child poverty. It is only paid to mothers and even within richer or middle class families women very often do not benefit from the wealth of their husbands. Many men still control the purse strings and don’t neccessarily share the benefit of their income.

Mick the mouth’s got a point. He’s always OTT with comments as he’s a natural publicist, but he’s canny enough at making money. It is ludicrous that the O’Leary family would be getting child benefit as there would be no apparent need for them with, presumably, a substantial income. Child benefit should be means tested so those who really need it do get it. All of it. Not cut by a tenner.

Two words…..means test! surely that’s the answer…won’t stop people having sex though!!!

Thanks Ryan.

Sorry Ryan,but yes he does live here but he pays his taxes in The UK as Ryanairs registered office is there not here anymore, yes they do have offices here but according to the UK company register the main office is registered in the UK, but I do agree with him

O’Leary would be delighted with that Alix. All his kids are under 16. A billionaire getting free health care for his kids is no different from a billionaire receiving Child Benefit. O’Leary and his kind simply don’t need Child benefit. The 10euro proposed reduction will make absolutely no difference to them. A family with a 400 euro pw income and a couple of kids will certainly know they’ve been hit. Disgraceful. This payment should be means tested before any cuts are even contemplated. As simple as that.

Yes because that’s what people are thinking of while their having sex, child benefit omg what planet has this man come from maybe everything involves money for this chap even in the bedroom department ;)

Why is his opinion on the subject newsworthy? Who cares what he thinks!?! He may be entitled to an opinion but to make a news story out of it? He’s just another rich person who has no clue about he real struggles of the ordinary people of Ireland. Some of us greatly depend on that money just to balance the books each month, we’re not on massive salaries like O’leary.

Poor auld Ireland!

Wanker.

In any leaving cert geography book you can find Michael O’Leary’s point as the reason for child benefit. A cases study would be Japan where there is high child benefit to encourage an increase in Japan’s very low birth rate.

If child benefit is universal and automatically paid out, then you don’t honstly expect the wealthy to refuse it, do you? That’s why they are wealthy, because they never turn down a hand when there’s money in it.
Means testing is the only fair option to ensure the benefit is only paid to those who need it. And the only fair way to save money for he exchequer, NOT by taking it out of the mouths of the poor.

He really is an immature, attention-seeking, egotistical idiot at times

That’s my point Justin. He reckons people on “average incomes” should not receive Child Benefit. He’s obviously not living in the same Ireland as I am. He’s like most rich people. He thinks taxpayer’s money should only be given to those who are absolutely destitute or trying to start their own business.

Wonder why his wife applied for children’s allowance so? It’s quite the rigmarole sending off the forms/birth certs etc … if his wife didn’t want it she shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble to apply for it …. FOUR times. Likewise any mother who doesn’t think they should receive it needn’t apply for it. Michael O’Leary doesn’t receive children’s allowance, the mother of his children does, regardless of his income.

No, neuromancer, neither the last government or the current shambles of a government have done anything but hammer the lower and lower middle incomes families, but that just seems to be the latest political craze these days. Sacrifice the many to protect the prosperity of the (relatively) few. O’Leary wouldn’t know hardship if it crawled up his trouser leg and bit him on his pampered backside. How could he possibly be able to relate to the hardship of lower income families??

Yet again as this absurd person has been out of the news, a few choice words to stir people up so he again is remembered, regardless if he believes what he says.Point achieved methinks, but I just cant remember who im ranting against!

@ Justin, totally agree with you!!! Does he even have a family himself?????

He is an eejit but he has a point, while I dont believe it should be scrapped, it should only go to those who need it not the rich

What a hypocrite. O’Leary has 3 kids, as far as I’m aware, and comes from a family of 6. His personal fortune was estimated to be worth 500 million in 2009. Imagine, people like O’Leary are entitled to receive Child Benefit yet he would begrudge a family on low income receiving this support. What a muppet.

thats rich comming from a millionaire dont see him refuseing it