Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This initiative was rolled out at the time to address a change in the eligibility for the one-parent family allowance. I refer to a reply to a parliamentary question I asked last June. The scheme was originally formed with 6,000 places and an allocation of €10 million. In June 2014, after its first year in operation, 154 places had been availed of. It is clear that the scheme is not working. How many places are being utilised now? If such a small percentage of places were taken up originally, how was the balance of the money spent? Why is a significant sum of money being allocated to the scheme this year if it is not being utilised and availed of to the extent originally anticipated?