Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These are the facts from the quarterly national household survey of the second quarter of 2016. In the year commencing 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, the number of lone parent families in employment increased significantly by 3.6% to 56.4%. For those whose youngest children were aged between six and 11 years, the percentage in employment increased by 7.5% to 57.2%. More lone parents are getting into the workplace. The best way out of poverty is by getting more people back to work. If we are going to make any change under my watch, it will be to assist more lone parents in returning to work, with child care costs and in breaking some of the barriers to education.

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