GERRY ADAMS has written to Fianna Fáil, the smaller parties and Independents asking them to vote against the Fine Gael Programme for Government proposal to link Child Benefit payments to school attendance if Enda Kenny's Government doesn't drop the idea.

Gerry Adams has also called on Minister for Children Katherine Zappone to “act immediately to remove the prospect of this threat being introduced in the time ahead”.

The Sinn Féin leader said the proposal is “deeply worrying”, saying:

“It would undoubtedly impact on the most vulnerable families and children in our society and would do nothing to address the issues relating to school absenteeism.

“One of the most pressing issues of inequality afflicting society, that of child poverty and deprivation, sees 30% of children grow up facing material deprivation year on year.”

He said that Child Benefit is one of the few universal welfare payments which benefits every child in the state and provides families with the basic means to pay for bare necessities such as food and clothing.

“The proposal to link Child Benefit to school attendance shows how out of touch with reality the incoming Government is,” Gerry Adams said.

“The Fine Gael Government would be better focusing its time and resources on restoring and increasing funding to schools completion programmes and tackling why some children miss a lot of school rather than imposing social welfare cuts.”

He added that the move is “particularly shocking” given that it is contained in a section of the Programme for Government entitled ‘Giving Vulnerable Young People the Best Chance in Life’ when it would do the exact opposite.

“I am calling, in particular, on the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone to act immediately to remove the prospect of this threat being introduced in the time ahead.”