Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like many other young, single people, my daughter did her junior and leaving certificate examinations and took whatever job she could find when the country was in deep recession. When others would not work in McDonald's, my kids and those of my neighbours worked in it.

This debate calls for fairness and balance. It has not sunk in that we have a Minister for Social Protection who is prepared to change the social welfare system. I do not have anything against lone parents. Many of my friends and my children's friends have young children. Single parents are being given an opportunity to step back into the real world by re-entering the education system and becoming independent. People have reasons for having children at a young age and I do not hold that against them. However, a door has been opened and they are being given an opportunity to return to education. I know many lone parents who never had that opportunity because they had to stay at home to mind babies. The Opposition needs to wake up and realise that these young people are, for the first time, being offered a new beginning and new experiences.

I will not dwell on the TV3 programme in which I was involved a couple of months ago when I met a fine young woman, Laura Spencer from Marrowbone Lane. Laura had children at a young age and when her partner left, she got herself together and applied to go back to college in Cathal Brugha Street. I spoke to her two weeks ago and she had achieved excellent results. These are the outcomes we want to see. We should have less farce in this debate. Instead of giving out, the Deputies opposite should see the real world in which young people such as Laura are given encouragement.

Three weeks ago I stopped a fellow who was filling every bin on Bulfin Road with his waste. I will not repeat the words he used when I spoke to him. While his elderly neighbours pay their waste charges, he goes out and fills bins with his waste. As a result of this encounter, I asked Dublin City Council to remove every litter bin on Bulfin Road where there was a line of people every morning filling the bins with waste. The Deputies opposite can say what they like, but the Bill is about people taking civic responsibility.

I apologise in advance to the Ceann Comhairle as I will stray a little from the Bill before I conclude.

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