Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Obviously, I do not agree with the Deputy's suggestion. We are giving statutory expression to a practice already in place in regard to the jobseeker's allowance, both in respect of the requirement to take up an offer of suitable employment and the payment of a reduced rate of jobseeker's allowance or supplementary welfare allowance for claimants who refuse to participate in an appropriate course of training and to participate in a programme under the national employment action plan. Currently, there is a nine-week disqualification of a payment where a person refuses to participate in an appropriate course or training. The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill provides for the payment of a reduced rate should that take place.

On the question of the one-parent family payment, I point out again to the Deputy that a paper on this matter produced in 2006 examined how to assist lone parents to re-engage with the labour market. There will be a six-year tapered phasing out period of the payment for existing recipients. New applicants for the payment will be the parents of new born babies and those people will not affected until 2024, when the child reaches his or her 13th birthday. To suggest that this provision involves an imminent change is not correct. It is about trying to work with those who represent lone parents in this area, assist them, reduce dependency and try to provide more options for people in this position to return to the labour market.

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