Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Department's document asserts that the changes in the lone-parent allowance were designed to eliminate financial disincentives to return to work. The most significant change in that regard is the reduction in the income disregard which means, in plain English, that if a lone parent goes out to work, that work, which is often part-time, will be less valuable and he or she will get less money. I fail to see how that is an incentive. It is a disincentive.

It is projected that spending on supplementary welfare allowances and exceptional needs payments will be reduced by €2.1 million. What was the total spend on these last year? As the Minister will be aware, there is an anomaly in the FIS system whereby if someone is eligible for FIS, the payment continues for 12 months, even if that person's circumstances change completely within a matter of weeks. A person may no longer be entitled to a FIS payment but will receive it for 12 months, regardless. Equally, another person may be entitled to a greater payment than the one he or she is receiving but the rate stays the same for 12 months. I understand the administrative difficulties involved in addressing that but has any effort been made in that regard?

Finally, in the context of JobPath, what is the ratio of officers to unemployed people at the moment?