Ms Caroline Fahy:

We seek the reversal of changes to the one-parent family payments. The Department's approach to one-parent families is now less passive and more active so employment will be a bigger feature than previously in the lives of those parenting alone. An earnings disregard was put in place to allow people to earn a certain amount from employment and keep a certain amount of the one-parent family payment but this has been eroded. It will be more difficult for lone-parents who have made the move from social welfare payments to employment because their incomes are falling every year due to the changes.