Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is not affected by this legislation. I have introduced a jobseekers transition payment, whereby lone parents of children aged between seven and 14 years will be encouraged to go back to education and training. I have made money available to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs from the Department's budget for this purpose. Lone parents taking up work are eligible for FIS, and our experience of the changes in the FIS rules is that many lone parents are significantly better off. It is not a matter in the legislation, but if the Deputy wishes to give me an example I can state we have worked very hard with organisations representing lone parents and other organisations which take an interest in lone parents. The way the changes in FIS for which I have been responsible have been introduced means there has been a very enhanced take-up of FIS by lone parents and, together with income from employment, this has resulted in significant enhancement of lone parents' income. If the Deputy has a particular concern about a particular case he might let me know and I will have a look at the circumstances.

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