Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I am aware that lone parents do not constitute a homogenous group. However, the structure of the system is such that we are obliged to discuss the amendments we table in the context of the type of payments that exist.

The Minister has a great ability to outline a problem rather than offer a solution. I do not believe any of the points the Minister has made differ from those the Opposition would make. The point we are making — I will be brief as I wish to press this amendment — is that we have not seen any action in this regard. While the Minister can speak about the pilot schemes in Coolock, Kilkenny and so on, that information has not been made available to the public. We have not had an opportunity to study that information to assess what the people surveyed, those in receipt of these payments, had to say.

The Minister has outlined the depth of the problems in respect of education, training and employment. However, the 50 facilitators appointed cannot possibly work on a one-to-one basis with 84,000 people in receipt of State support through the one-parent family payment. If we are truly to get activation and to guide these people off that payment and into the workforce, we must deal with ancillary problems such as child care, although such problems are not ancillary to parents but are very much part of the structure of their lives. All of this must be taken into account if activation is to work. We must facilitate people to return to work rather than use the stick to do so. The majority of people surveyed, 84%, want to work and so that is not the kernel of the problem. We must address overall family and child care situations.

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