Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ireland is a tough place to raise a child, particularly for lone parents. They can take little or no solace from the actions of the Government if they hope society, through government, will protect them and the interests of their child.

Ireland has one of the highest level of child care costs in the OECD. This, coupled with a poor public transport infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and the lack of adequate housing, makes the lives of lone parents very difficult. The Government claims to be focused on getting people back to work, but what it is doing is creating a situation where it is making it increasingly difficult for people to work. Thousands of families are attempting to survive on the limited income they have.

In the recent referendum, the people gave a clear vote that they wanted all families of different make-ups to be recognised and supported by the State. However, it seems that the State is unwilling to support all of these families or make it viable to raise their children in the comfort and security that they need and deserve. The Tánaiste promised that these cuts would not be enacted without affordable and accessible child care and after school care. These facilities are not in place. Therefore, lone parents are abandoned in the wilderness to fend for themselves.

Many families find themselves in this situation. According to the 2011 census, one in every eight people in Ireland lives in a one-parent family. One in every four families with children is a one-parent family. This means over 500,000 people are living in one parent families. These parents are not just restricted to single mothers. The figures show us that 13.5% of these one-parent families are headed by a male. People in lone parent households tend to have the lowest disposable income out of all households in the State. Those living in lone parent households continue to experience the highest rates of deprivation, with almost 69% of individuals from these households experiencing one or more forms of deprivation. Why any government that calls itself a caring government or why any society would choose to pick on the 69% who are most deprived and decide to hit them beggars belief. People do not understand the logic behind what the Government is doing. It is hitting those who are least able to pay, all under the fiction that it is enabling them to get back to work.

The Government promised many things prior to and immediately after the last election. It promised a democratic revolution and to defend the weakest in society. The stark reality is that people such as lone parents are cast aside and are seen as expendable to the future of this society. Sinn Féin has proposed a number of measures to help the plight of lone parents and to provide greater financial security to them, including an increase to the earnings disregard in the one-parent family payment scheme.

We also proposed increases to funding that would benefit lone parents, such as fuel allowance and back to school clothing and footwear allowance. Unless the Tánaiste is a master hypnotherapist and she can hypnotise all of society, she will not convince lone parents, nor will she convince the wider population, that the cuts are good for those vulnerable people or their children. Neither will she convince society that she is keeping her solemn promise on behalf of the Government that the changes would not be introduced unless quality, accessible child care is available.

There is no shame in any person saying he or she got is slightly wrong although he or she had the right intentions. From listening to the comments of Government backbenchers, in particular Labour Party backbenchers, they want the change too. I urge the Tánaiste to withdraw her amendment to the motion so as not to force honourable backbenchers to vote in a dishonourable way tomorrow night.

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