Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A total of 11,000 people have made a successful transition in recent years. Yesterday we discussed the numbers availing of family income supplement, which provides a major boost for people's income, those working either 19 hours or on a relatively low rate of payment. We are introducing the back to work family dividend. Furthermore, we have undertaken with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to introduce the after-school care payment, especially for persons who have been unemployed, including lone parents. We have, therefore, taken several initiatives. We examine all potential and possible initiatives that could further assist lone parents, in particular. All the statistics show that if people are parenting on their own over an 18 year period, their chances and those of their children of being at risk of poverty are significantly greater than those who are in work. The best way to reduce their chances of being at risk of poverty is for them to find full-time or part-time employment.

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