Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have engaged in intensive work with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs over the past year so that the State could provide additional child care places. This is why I was happy to announce an additional 6,000 after-school places. Ireland is starting from a low base in regard to child care. All of us recognise that our child benefits and lone parent payments are among the highest in Europe. However, in most other countries in Europe, including 90 miles to the north, lone parents do not retain that status exclusively once their children attend school. This is to give the parents the opportunity to get involved in education, training and community work, which will assist them and their families to become financially independent. The best social welfare systems provide income support, particularly when the children have not yet started school full-time, while also giving tremendous support to help people return to education, training and, ultimately, employment and financial independence. That is the purpose of the changes to the lone parent payments.

These changes have been welcomed. Last night Deputy Ó Snodaigh, like most of the other Deputies who spoke in the debate, welcomed the extension of time and the additional child care places. I think this is an important initiative and I hope the House will support it as a progressive development which will open new horizons for people who are parenting alone. Even though we have been discussing painful reductions in this budget, our lone parent and childhood supports are among the highest in Europe. Successive Governments have devoted 37% of their budgets to social welfare. That has resulted in a reduction of the at risk of poverty rate of 60%, which is twice the average of almost every other European country, including some particularly wealthy ones. I commend the amendment to the House.

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