Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is quite an amount to consider and it is a pity such a short time has been provided. Mention was made of the 2006 report. That report was not implemented, even by the previous Government, with all its faults, because it set a different timescale. The fact that a Minister in this Government pursued it with gusto, in particular in 2012, highlights the ill-thought out strategy around the cuts to the one-parent family payments. My key issue is that in a response by the current Minister last month she outlined the numbers that would be affected substantially by these changes. Some 800 one-parent families who are in receipt of a carer's allowance will lose €86 per week. Even for those of us who are in full employment, and who have other family members in employment, €86 a week is a substantial amount. The Minister went on to say that up to 6,400 one-parent families will lose up to €36.50 per week, another group of 4,500 one-parent families will lose up to €57 a week. That is not taking into account, as was mentioned by the group representing the parents, the cumulative effects of other cuts prior to this and other consequences. Rents have increased and the cost of going to college and the cost of child care - which is what this is about - have increased.

I have a question for the Department officials.

It is a policy matter and the official might be able to say he is sorry but he cannot answer it, but when this measure was introduced the Minister promised that she would not proceed with any of the changes unless we had the Scandinavian model of child care. Where stands that from the Department's point of view, because one was supposed to follow the other? Has any consideration been given to suspending the measure this year given that the policy position has not been achieved? That is key. If the Minister is not willing to row back, there is nothing to prevent her suspending the measure until such time as her ideal has been achieved.

It was stated that the system was out of step with international norms. Why is the international norm not out of step with what we did? We should never be in a race to the bottom. It should be the opposite in that we should be setting standards. The representatives of lone parents would probably be the best people to answer the next question. Based on their work, how many women or men who are in this predicament are trying to stay out of work? Even the Government report dating to 2006 highlighted the fact that the vast majority of people who are parenting alone wanted to go back to work, or in fact found work, before their children reached the age of seven anyway. That information is key in terms of how we approach the matter.