Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister stated, lone-parent families are in deep poverty. They show very high levels across the board, from at risk of poverty to risk of deprivation, living in deprivation and experiencing deprivation. The consistent poverty rate remains far too high. It is much higher than it should be in any case.

The Minister will also know lone parent organisations, both One Family and Single Parents Acting for the Rights of Kids, SPARK, have voiced deep disappointment in respect of the budget. Many of the measures the Minister outlined, including those relating to child benefit and the working family payment, are not specific to lone-parent families. Aside from the weekly increase they, along with all other social welfare recipients, will receive from January, there was nothing targeted at them in the context of the level of poverty they experience.

I am disappointed that the Minister has had the report since April, that we still have not seen it and that we will not now see it until perhaps the end of the year at the earliest. Is there any chance for movement on that, particularly in view of the fact that the organisations are obviously waiting for this report?

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