Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I note the Deputy's concerns and reiterate that the Department of Social Protection is actively engaging with lone parents who are affected by the ongoing reforms. Lone parents who are on jobseeker's payments can access the full range of employment, educational and training supports available to improve their skill set and move towards sustainable employment. The positive impact of this incentive has been evident from the increase in new applicants for family income supplement, FIS, which we have seen since 2013 when the reforms commenced. On foot of the one-parent family payments which have been implemented to date, many lone parents have increased the number of hours they work in order to qualify for FIS. Individuals who are due to transition off the one-parent family payment scheme from 2 July will now have the additional incentive of the back to work family dividend, which further improves the incentive for the majority of lone parents to avail of employment opportunities. I assure the Deputy that we will ask the Tánaiste to take a look at her examples.

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