Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last weekend, the Tánaiste stated that Labour Party women would not be bullied. I strongly agree with the sentiment that they should not be bullied and they will not be bullied. Are the changes to the one-parent family payment an example of a Labour Party Minister bullying the 70,000 people, almost all of whom are women, who are in receipt of the payment? The implementation rules in respect of the jobseeker's allowance transitional arrangement, JST, clearly include an element of compulsion.

One of the Tánaiste's predecessors who served both as Tánaiste and Minister for Social Welfare, the late, great Brendan Corish, who is revered by the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, me and many others, was responsible for introducing the first supports for lone parents. Is it not tragic that the leader of the Labour Party is dismantling these same supports?

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