Mr. Niall Egan:

The figures for 2011 show that 49% of recipients of the one-parent family payment were in employment. This figure has decreased. It decreased in 2013 and, based on the information we have, it was down to 36%. I have to give a caveat for this information, which is that we gather it at a particular point in time but on a regular basis. The figure increased in 2014 and in 2015. As the end of January 2015, 45% of recipients were in employment. There are a number of reasons for the fluctuations. The key large change is the economic crisis. It affected everyone, including lone parents in employment. Many lone parents lost their employment. Another key factor is what happened at the start of 2012. Previously, recipients of the one-parent family payment could participate on a community employment scheme, receive their one-parent family payment and also get a current payment of the community employment allowance. This was stopped. A direct result of this was a significant decline in the number of lone parents participating in community employment. This was a key factor.

Questions were asked about activation supports for lone parents. There are about 70,000 recipients of the one-parent family payment. Everyone who is familiar with that cohort realises the diversity in the range of people in it. It includes very well educated individuals with doctorates as well as people with very poor literacy and numeracy skills. There is no set single programme that is suitable for one-parent family payments recipients. This makes it difficult to engage with them. However, what is available is the range of supports we have on foot of the reforms that we will speak about later. This is the broad range of supports available through the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education and Skills. These have largely been designed for job seekers but they will now be available to others and will cover a range of people.

Child care is an issue. It falls within the remit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Working with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and in order to encourage lone parents into valuable schemes such as community employment, we have introduced a community employment scheme for child care. This has significantly improved the number of lone parents availing of community employment. We have also introduced an after school child care scheme on top of the available supports the Department of Children and Youth Affairs makes available. Is it enough? I would argue it is not. However, it is a start and it is something the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has announced it will examine.

As lone parents are such a diverse group, the Department has, through the Irish Research Council, undertaken specific research on what works in terms of activation, both internationally and in an Irish context. This looks at specific measures for lone parents as well as the supports required. Dr. Michelle Murphy from NUI Galway is undertaking this research. This will be a key piece of research which will help us to tailor our supports for lone parents.