Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----we still meet a lot of lone parents who find that the system effectively leaves them worse off. Like most of us in the Chamber, the Tánaiste stood on the picket lines with the Dunnes Stores workers. Despite that fact, however, people on 15-hour contracts still find themselves that much worse off. The overall selling point of these major changes was that women would be encouraged into the workforce, yet the figures for August show that women's unemployment is rising in important categories. Is the Department of Social Protection closely tracking and monitoring the impact that this is having on many families? As regards the new changes, we are hearing about people losing money and being caught being between a rock and a hard place concerning their work and family duties. Is this the case? Will the Tánaiste undertake a review of the system and change it significantly in two weeks' time in the budget and in the new social welfare Bill?

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