Dr. Naomi Feely:

I wish to add the following. There are more one-parent families where someone has a disability than two-parent families. So there is an intersectionality. We know that the poorest households in Ireland are lone parents and families where someone has a disability. Therefore, something focused is required. The lack of the income disregard rising is impacting those families and households more. As Ms Bayliss said, the increase in the child support payment is very welcome but it is being undermined by other things not keeping up and by people losing access to the childcare scheme, medical cards or other things. The Government gives with one hand and somebody else, even another part of the same Department, takes away with the other. Unfortunately, that happens repeatedly and is due to a lack of focused, joined-up thinking and poverty proofing when budget decisions are being made.