Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I share some of the Deputy's concerns. We all know of young mothers, and perhaps mothers who are not so young, whose only income is the lone-parent allowance. They may be in receipt of rent allowance and in various schemes. We all know that the disincentive is not just related to the payment itself. There are many steps that can be taken to address the problems of lone parents. Most lone parents are very anxious to improve their circumstances, as the Deputy would accept. Most women, when their children enter secondary school, are anxious to re-enter the workforce, possibly after having availed of various schemes prior to that.

Many steps need to be taken but, unfortunately, we are in very straitened circumstances. Steps are being taken, however. For instance, there is a range of education and training opportunities available through the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS for lone parents to improve their qualifications and skills base. There are currently 65 facilitators in the Department working around the country. They can be contacted through the Department's local officers. Facilitators work with customers to help them to identify appropriate training or development programmes. They also work in close co-operation with other service providers, including FÁS, the VEC and the local community and voluntary sectors.

The back-to-education scheme presents a second-chance education opportunity programme designed to encourage and facilitate unemployed people, lone parents and persons with disabilities to improve their skills and qualifications with a view to returning to the workforce. For the past year or two, most of us have made the point that there is never a better opportunity to up-skill and further one's education than in a time of recession. One finds that many more people stay on in education because they are as conscious as we are that there are very few job opportunities. It is different when one is not 18, and possibly 30 or 31, at which age one has life experience. This is of value in itself and many regard it as such.

Courses covered under the back-to-education scheme range from second level courses to third level courses. Persons who are awarded a back-to-education allowance receive a standard weekly payment equivalent to the relevant social welfare payment prior to participation. An annual cost-of-education allowance of €500 is also payable.

The back-to-education scheme currently assists some 3,220 people who are in receipt of lone-parent family payments out of a total of some 20,800 participants. Expenditure on the scheme amounted to €179.8 million in 2010. A further €198.83 million was allocated for it in 2011.

Currently, all lone parents who present at FÁS employment services are provided with one-to-one guidance interviews with an employment services officer. Lone parents are advised on suitable labour market opportunities, such as current job vacancies and suitable training or employment programme places, and they may be referred to other FÁS supports. There is, therefore, a substantial number of supports for lone parents. Most young women would appreciate any help they could get in finding work.

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