Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If this cut goes ahead, it will result in a further significant loss of income for thousands of lone parents and an increase in deprivation. Will the Minister to confirm that almost 12,000 lone parents will suffer a financial loss of up €86 per week if she proceeds with the cut? Her response to a parliamentary question I tabled in January stated 6,400 lone parents would suffer a loss of up to €36.50, that a further 4,500 would lose up to €57 per week, while 800 lone parents who are also carers would suffer a loss up to a staggering €86 per week. Given the SILC statistics and her reply to my question, will she now consider abandoning her plan to lower the cut-off age to seven years in July, particularly given that she has not delivered on her promise to deliver a Scandinavian model of child care?

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