Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste did not do what she said. She promised she would not introduce this change until we had a Scandinavian child care system in this country. She has not done that. The answer to my question is that she intends to renege on her promise. The Taoiseach said something yesterday which the Tánaiste has said on many occasions, namely, that many working lone parents, who ironically are the only lone parents affected by these changes, can make themselves better off by working more hours because they will then be eligible for family income supplement, FIS. Does the Tánaiste realise that lone parents are not entitled to knock on their employers' doors to demand additional hours? Even if there was such an entitlement, in many cases they could not avail of the additional hours due to the lack of affordable child care. Does she also realise that people who are in receipt of FIS because they work more than 19 hours per week will be penalised by this change? I received correspondence yesterday from somebody in the Taoiseach's constituency who is working 20 hours per week for €10 per hour and is in receipt of FIS. This person would gain exactly €15 per week for five extra hours of work, which is less than half the minimum wage. Does the Tánaiste regard that as acceptable?

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