Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The focus in years to come will be to extend services that improve a person's ability to work. The purpose of the reforms introduced by the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection is to reduce long-term social welfare dependency by ending the expectation that lone parents will remain outside the workforce indefinitely. That is what this is about. These reforms aim to provide the necessary supports to lone-parents to help them to access a range of education, training and employment programmes, develop a skill set and, ultimately, secure employment and financial independence.

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