Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

This measure is illogical bearing in mind what the Minister and the Government said about dealing with poverty traps and activation measures. The Minister and her officials have identified one-parent families as a group in society which needs to be supported, in particular, in the transition from unemployment to full employment, given the additional costs incurred such as child care and so on. As I stated, the secondary payment which continues for a period of up to six months where a claimant's earnings do not exceed €425 is a valuable tool in assisting those making the transition from dependance on social welfare to full employment. This is a strange cut and not much money will be saved. Given that there are no jobs available, not many will be making the transition for some time. It is to be hoped some will manage to do so and exceed the figure of €425 allowed. It is to be hoped some will gain employment to put bread on the table and pay all their bills.

The Minister is penalising families which are struggling. Some 65% of the country's poorest children are living in one-parent families. Every lone parent I know wants to work, which is to be welcomed. The transition payment was a mechanism to assist and encouraged such parents, but now they are being hammered again. This is a disincentive and a retrograde step that should be, as suggested by the Minister, be withdrawn, even though she was thinking of the next section. If anything, this mechanism should be extended to other social welfare recipients to assist them in making the transition from dependance on social welfare to full employment, given that more people will become dependant on long-term social welfare assistance, which will cause difficulties in terms of expenditure, particularly for those who previously were able to take care of their children and now have to pay to have them cared for. This is akin to a person being entitled to retain his or her medical card following the move from welfare dependancy. Is that, too, likely to be withdrawn? I urge the Minister to do what she said she would do at the commencement of the discussion on this section, namely, withdraw it.

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