Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I totally agree with the Deputy that we need action. I referred to just one of the big commitments in the programme for Government and I hope in the context of my involvement that there will be a specific focus on the reduction of children's poverty. As we know, lots of things impact on it, but what would impact on it most immediately is potentially increasing some form of children's income support, which is something we are looking at as a possibility, perhaps in a targeted way, alongside supporting families to take up jobs.

On lone parents, another commitment I placed in the programme for Government is to review access to higher education and the barriers for lone parents and, on the basis of that review and the recommendations that come out of it, to act in that regard. In looking at this working family payment and the way it is designed, we need to be aware, as Deputy Wallace stated, that this is not just about jobs but quality jobs and jobs that can ensure the parents' children move beyond poverty.

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