Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

I noted the Minister's response to the earlier priority question and sense from it — perhaps the Minister will agree — that it is unlikely the measures introduced on foot of this consultation process will be in place before either of the social welfare Bills that will follow the budget this year or before the general election. In that case, will the Minister indicate the alternative measures he intends to put in place subject to a new payment being introduced? Has he noted the pre-budget submission of the Combat Poverty Agency, which referred to changing the rates of child dependant allowance that have been frozen since 1994 as an interim measure? In light of the consultation process and concerns that were expressed by lone parent groups such as One Family and OPEN about the possibility of a group of lone parents being worse off under the initial proposals, have changes been suggested and are they being accepted in that consultation process? The fact that 40% of lone parents choose to remain at home with their children indicates a conscious decision on the part of many of them that the role they have chosen for themselves is to be actively involved in the upbringing of their children, and changes in the payment system may irredeemably affect that choice for lone parents in the future.

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