Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister stated what we all know, that is, the extent to which single-parent families are at risk of poverty. He will be aware, not alone of that but that studies have reflected the fact that lone-parent families disproportionately suffered, under both the previous Government and, indeed, his own, in an era of austerity and cutbacks. We also know that many of those families live in poverty or at least are at risk of poverty. Deputy White acknowledges that. Let me acknowledge that a return to the workplace to good quality, secure employment is a desirable outcome for anybody. Let us just acknowledge that, move beyond that routine excuse that we hear from the Administration and deal with the facts.

I do not know whether the Minister has met many of the families, in particular, the women, who will be affected by what he calls reform but what are, in effect, cutbacks. They want to know from him how it is that they will make up the €87 a week that they will be down. Aspirational talk here about return to work will not compensate these families and these women for a cut of that magnitude - that is the bottom line here. Although the Minister has made all of the worthy points about what we should and might do in respect of child care, it does not address either the following core point, that the Tánaiste, Deputy White's leader and second-in-command of the Government, made a definitive commitment that this cut would not go ahead in the absence of quality and affordable child care. The Minister and I, and the mothers and fathers of this land, particularly those parenting alone, know that such a system of child care simply is not available.

Will the Labour Party, the Government and the Tánaiste keep their word and reverse this cut? Will the Minister shed some light for those families to whom the Government will cut €87 on where they are to find that money? They are already struggling and at risk of poverty.

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