Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

We were looking at a situation where lone parents received €146.50. Now we are talking about €90. There has been a huge cut for those affected. There will be a huge sigh of relief that it is not being cut more. It should be viewed in that context. I agree with the points made by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. I would have liked to have seen it increased by even more to protect people who need the protection. It is not as if they are in a situation where they are looking for handouts. They want to work. The issue is the type of work that is available. The figures show that Ireland is the third best country for jobs but this is made up of zero hour contracts and underemployment. I would like to see a further breakdown of the employment figures and where it is the jobs are being created. We do not see these jobs in my area. I do not have people attending my clinic saying they got a job that day or that they had been on the unemployment register for the last six years and that they have now got a job. There was only one such person in the last three months. I do not see where it is coming from. It does not appear to be affecting or trickling into communities.

This group of people in particular are in constant poverty. The deprivation figures are available. As a country, we should look at other ways to protect and encourage people to get work that is decent work, has a living wage and they can provide for their families.

This was all supposed to be reduced and the provisions regarding the age of the children to apply in terms of the lone parent's allowance was supposed to be linked into Scandinavian type child care. We now know we have the highest child care costs in Europe. Perhaps we could have something on how this relates to an increase in the number of affordable child care places available. We hear of businesses such as the one in Waterford in the news recently potentially closing down with 17 jobs going and 100 children possibly affected.

There is huge concern in regard to the cost of child care in this country.