Dr. Tricia Keilthy:

This is one area in which it is very important to have joined-up thinking. As I outlined in the opening statement, the national childcare scheme is going to see the poorest lone parents lose out if it is implemented in the way intended. If there is a gap in the childcare subsidy, the benefit of any increase in employment support could potentially undone if the subsidy is not responsive to the needs of lone parents.

On the adequacy piece, it is important to say there has been much discussion about indexing social welfare payments. There are many options in that regard, one of which is indexing payments in keeping with the consumer price index. Another is indexing wages. We hold that the majority of social welfare payments are below what is adequate to achieve a minimum standard of living. If people are below that standard and one indexes without reaching the benchmark of adequacy, essentially one will copperfasten poverty in that increases will be based on what is an inadequate income. Payments need to reach that benchmark and one indexes from that point.