Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has identified policies, specifically social welfare payments payable under the mandate of his Department, that act as a disincentive for non-marital and marital families to live together; if having identified such disincentives, he has proposals to alter the parameters under which such payments are made and under which such policies are constructed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37392/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Entitlement to certain social welfare payments aimed at supporting those parenting alone is contingent on the claimant not cohabiting in a spousal relationship with another adult. I am aware that reluctance on the part of some parents to forego the income security provided by schemes such as the one parent family payment may act as a disincentive to the formation of partnerships and ultimately marriage for recipients. One of the qualifying conditions for the one parent family payment states that a parent must be the main carer of the child and the scheme, as it currently operates, may not sufficiently facilitate joint parenting for couples who are separating. This is why I established a working group in my Department earlier this year to review the income support arrangements for lone parents and to address issues such as the contingency basis of certain payments. A process of consultation with social partners was also conducted as part of this review and the Cabinet sub-committee on social inclusion has been updated on progress.

It is my intention to bring this report to the Cabinet shortly, along with another report conducted by a sub-group of the senior officials group on social inclusion, which was mandated to look at the obstacles to employment faced by lone parents. Both reports will then be published and a further period of consultation will lead to the development of proposals designed to support and encourage all parents in achieving a better standard of living, employment and education opportunities, a better future for themselves and their children and a more appropriate social policy in the future.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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One aspect not highlighted by the Minister in his response was the community welfare payment for housing supports. That is a significant disincentive to people. Every Deputy in this House knows people who are either living apart or stating that they are living apart, as they would lose the rent assistance when one person works. I am aware that the system is changing towards a rent assistance scheme. Will the Minister consider looking at an interim arrangement? It will take four years for the rent assistance scheme to come into effect.

I always thought Ireland was regarded as a family friendly country. I know of families who live apart. I presume that other Members are aware of similar examples caused by a family's financial situation. I am sure the Minister is aware that some people feel they spend their lives looking over their shoulders and that the system has made them dishonest. While I do not condone it when people work and claim for benefits to which they are not entitled, it is human nature to so do. If the system is bad, it is important that one parent payments are not examined in isolation. The entire gamut of payments, including community welfare payments on housing, must also be considered.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As a general statement, people should not be obliged to adjust their lives to fit a particular payment. Their lives are their own and we should respond by supporting them in any way possible. I share the Deputy's view that it is not good social policy to have people who wish to live together not do so in order to maximise a payment. I am trying to change such occurrences.

It is a difficult question. Particular payments, such as, for example, one parent family payments, are intended to benefit one parent families. If there is not a one parent family because people have chosen to live together, a one parent family payment is no longer appropriate. At the same time, however, such people have expenses. We must try to provide the same level of funds to such households, while moving away from the cohabitation issue. I share the Deputy's concern about any couple who decide not to live together, purely to maximise payments. That is not good social policy. I have asked the Department to examine all the schemes which may act as a disincentive to people living together. We will try to amend them as we go along. My priority is one parent family payments. The Deputy has asked me to consider community welfare payments in respect of housing. I must discuss it with my colleagues and I will do so.