Mr. Niall Egan:

On Deputy Mitchell's question about transfers from welfare to work, we have worked very closely with other Departments before the lone parent reforms and subsequently since. The two Departments we work most closely with would be, first, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Several years ago it implemented an after-school child care scheme. In terms of the learning from that, as we were also members of the interdepartmental group on child care we were able to feed in strongly during that group the need for lone parents and child care provision, which is fed directly into the design of the single affordable child care scheme the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is in the process of designing. As Ms Ryan referred to in her opening statement, we are also involved in that process.

The other big Department we are involved with, and which was mentioned earlier, is the Department of Education and Skills. In terms of the study that has been referred to, but also our interactions, again referenced in the opening statement, with the further education sector, we continue paying allowances to jobseeker's transition so we have dealt with the issue that emerged on foot of one of the issues raised by some of the lone parent groups. That is because of the relationship we have with the Department of Education and Skills.

The Chairman referred, anecdotally, to the increase in the number of FIS recipients. There has been an increase in the number of FIS recipients on foot of the lone parent reforms. It ties in with Senator Humphreys's point about sharing the recovery. We have noticed it across all our schemes. We are all aware of the reduction in unemployment levels, which are at 7.2%. That is very welcome but, anecdotally, we have the QNHS data. We have also seen a very significant increase in employment for lone parents in the year following the lone parent reforms. For lone parents it is about a 3.6% increase in employment, which is about four times the increase compared to all parents. We believe that is significant but for lone parents whose youngest child is aged between six and 11, which is pertinent, the increase was 7.5%. That is something we want to explore in the context of the review because that is wider than just social welfare recipients. We acknowledge that, but it is of importance.

Some of the measures we have introduced over the last three budgets have facilitated an increase in lone parents in work. Over €100 million has been allocated specifically for the benefit of lone parents on foot of measures we have introduced over the last three budgets. That is everything from the rate increase, the increase in disregards, the Christmas bonus, the fuel allowance, the increase in FIS, and the cost of education allowance which has been referred to already.