Church calls for revision of children's allowance

The Church's Justice and Peace Commission said the children's allowance system should be revised.

Reflecting on the government's pre-budget document, it said families should be better assisted through a reasonable revision of the threshold as well as through the lifting of the restriction on the number of children for whom children's allowance is paid.

The commission's reflections were published in a document following consultations with other commissions and secretariats within the Maltese archdiocese.

The document has been sent to the Prime Minister.

The Archbishop's Curia said the commission made its reflections in the light of the five basic principles of the social teaching of the Catholic Church, namely the absolute respect towards human dignity and rights, preferential love of the poor, solidarity, the common good and subsidiarity.

The commission emphasised that its reflections were designed to serve as a contribution towards a more open and impartial dialogue.

Among others, the commission is suggesting that the children's allowance for those having a disability should at least be twice the amount of the normal allowance.

The commission said it fully agreed with the proposal for the extension of maternity leave from 13 to 14 weeks and hoped that the social partners would approve it. It also recommended that maternity/paternal leave would increase to 17 weeks for the second child and to 21 weeks for the third.

It also agreed with measures that serve as an incentive to parents to send their children to day nurseries, kindergartens and private schools because these would be reducing the economic burden on the central government and, at the same time, help those who lack the means to pay for private nurseries.

The commission recommended that a serious socio-economic study is carried out to establish a minimum wage that relates to modern times and needs and which would permit a decent living to a single parent without having to resort to social benefits.

The present minimum wage was not enough to enable a person live decently. Apart from this, it allowed room for abuse through cheap labour.

On education, the commission appealed to the government to carry out an evaluation of the needs by Church schools of coordinators to work with children with special needs, counsellors and social workers, educational psychologists, career advisers, activity teachers, health and safety teachers, computer technicians and relief teachers.

The commission said it was important to enforce the law that prohibits alcohol for persons aged under 16 and recommended that this age should be raised to 18.