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

I have a few brief questions. How exactly will these changes benefit lone parents who are not working? How will they ease their access to employment and training measures? It was mentioned that those on a jobseeker's transition payment would be able to engage with an Intreo officer but it could also have been arranged for lone parents to be able to engage with an Intreo officer and they did not have to be in receipt of jobseeker's transition payment to avail of that facility.

How will the back to education allowance be affected? I do not have time to read a communication in this respect that was brought to my attention by my colleague, Deputy Barry Cowen, this morning. I have received communications and letters from lone parents who are in the third level system who advise that they will have to drop out as a result of the changes that have been made.

What will be the effect of these changes on carers? A carer who is a lone parent currently gets their one parent's allowance and a half-carer's allowance. When they lose their lone parent's allowance when their child is over the age of seven, they will simply get the full carer's allowance, which is estimated to be €80 or €90 per week less. That is a straight loss of income for people who are performing this very valuable caring role.