Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have examined the changes to social protection payments made in the last couple of years. Ms O'Donoghue probably does not have the relevant information to hand, but I will indicate the figures that I would like her to supply.

There has been a reduction in the standardised maternity benefit payment. It goes without saying the individuals affected are female. Perhaps Ms O'Donoghue might outline the numbers and amounts involved in respect of the reductions in child benefit since 2012 and how many recipients of this payment were male. I imagine 80% to 90% of recipients of the one parent family payment are probably female, but Ms O'Donoghue might give us the actual figure. The one parent family payment was reduced in two respects. The age of qualifying children has changed, which means that fewer people will qualify for the payment. I ask for a breakdown between males and females in this regard. The inclusion of the age of the youngest child in the equation also has a knock-on effect in that some people are not eligible for the one parent family payment, depending on the age of their children, and they are transferring to jobseeker's allowance. I encountered several cases last summer where the income disregard for the one parent family payment was higher than the income disregard for jobseeker's allowance. I estimated that some people had lost €50 per week just by changing the title of their payments. I understand a transition arrangement was put in place, but I ask for a breakdown of the figures, including the numbers of males and females. The carer's respite grant was cut from €1,700 to €1,300. Most of the carers I know are female. How many males and females are in receipt of that grant?

Changes were made recently to eligibility rules for the State pension in respect of the total number of contributions required over an individual's career and the average annual contribution. These changes discriminate against women who left the paid workforce to do unpaid work. I ask Ms O'Donoghue for an estimate of the numbers of males and females affected. The only cases I have dealt with in my office involve women.

There have also been changes to the household benefits package, including the telephone and fuel allowances. As women live longer, there are more older women and widows in society. More power to the women present for having a longer life expectancy than the Chairman or I might have. However, I will not get into that debate. All of the aforementioned changes have affected women more than men.

In respect of each of the budgets and the options for changes and impact assessments - I am leaving aside policy decisions - were gender proofing exercises conducted on these changes? If such exercises were conducted, can we have the relevant documents? I do not know what to say to the witnesses if gender proofing was not used in assessing the impact of cuts on different groups. I presume these changes could have not been made in the absence of some proofing of their impacts. I was surprised that most of the people who had come to me to complain about budgets and cuts in the Department of Social Protection were women. Other cuts apply to men, but I am singling out the aforementioned areas.