Dáil debates

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility

9:40 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her response to the Central Statistics Office SILC finding that the number of lone parent households suffering enforced deprivation has risen to 63%; if in consideration of the SILC findings and in the absence of affordable after-school care, she will abandon her plans to lower the cut-off age for the one-parent family payment to seven years to avoid the significant financial loss that will be suffered by thousands of lone parent households as a consequence of the intended cut from 2 July 2015. [5031/15]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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My question highlights the rocketing rates of deprivation among lone-parent households, as indicated in the recently published CSO survey of income and living conditions, SILC. The report highlights the fact that 63% of such households are now living without basic necessities. Considering the absence of affordable after-school care facilities, will the Minister abandon her plans from 2 July to lower the cut-off age for the one-parent family payment to seven years?

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The one-parent family payment scheme supports close to 70,000 recipient lone parents and their children, at an estimated cost of €607 million in 2015. Despite significant investment, lone parents continue to experience higher levels of consistent poverty than the population generally. The best route out of poverty is through employment. The one-parent family payment scheme age reforms aim to reduce long-term social welfare dependency and associated poverty among lone parents and improve outcomes for their children. On foot of the reforms, lone parents will have enhanced access to education, training and employment supports with the aim of assisting them into employment.

Some 30,200 one-parent family payment scheme recipients will transition from the scheme on 2 July when the maximum age limit of the youngest child will be reduced to seven years. This is the same as in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. The majority are expected to move to the jobseeker’s allowance transitional arrangement. Under this arrangement - the money will stay exactly the same - lone parents whose youngest child is aged seven to 13 years are exempt from being available for and genuinely seeking full-time employment work, thereby reducing their child care requirements and giving them flexibility. However, it is proposed to encourage these lone parents to become involved in education and training. Then, when their children are more mature - over 13 years and in secondary school - they will have a better chance of being able to take up full-time or part-time employment as their family circumstances permit.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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If this cut goes ahead, it will result in a further significant loss of income for thousands of lone parents and an increase in deprivation. Will the Minister to confirm that almost 12,000 lone parents will suffer a financial loss of up €86 per week if she proceeds with the cut? Her response to a parliamentary question I tabled in January stated 6,400 lone parents would suffer a loss of up to €36.50, that a further 4,500 would lose up to €57 per week, while 800 lone parents who are also carers would suffer a loss up to a staggering €86 per week. Given the SILC statistics and her reply to my question, will she now consider abandoning her plan to lower the cut-off age to seven years in July, particularly given that she has not delivered on her promise to deliver a Scandinavian model of child care?

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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First, we need more and better access to affordable child care services. Anyone who is a parent or who has family members, relatives or friends with child care needs will know that child care in Ireland is extremely expensive. We need to address this issue, particularly for low income families, whether they are headed by couples or lone parents. That is one of the priorities of the Government.

On the seven years age limit, that is the relevant age in most Scandinavian countries which the Deputy has argued have the best outcomes. It also applies in Britain and Northern Ireland, where the Deputy's party is in government. I must stress to him that the aim is to focus on opportunities to engage in training and education because if one leaves employment, the opportunities to go back to either education or training until people reach their forties or fifties and their chances of securing employment are much reduced. The critical way to improve people's income and reduce their chances of living in poverty and to increase the chances of their children doing well at school and finding a job is to provide a mechanism through which they are encouraged to work.

Regarding lone parents who are carers, I want to be very clear that those in receipt of domiciliary care allowance will not be affected by these changes. If they wish to do so, however, they can become involved in all of the back-to-education initiatives.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Tánaiste's logic is that if one drives lone parents further into poverty, they might come out at the other end. However, what the SILC statistics show is that is one is driving them further into deprivation, making it even more difficult for them to get out of poverty. There is no Scandinavian model of child care available here and the Tánaiste has not addressed that issue. It was her promise, not mine. Is she aware that figures from the tenancy protection service which was set up to deal with families at risk of homelessness indicate that the majority of cases with which it is dealing involve lone parent families? Many of these lone parents used the additional funding they received through the one-parent family payment which is now to be cut to top-up their rent supplement payments. Is the Tánaiste aware that one of the effects of the cut will be to drive lone parent families into homelessness and further into deprivation? In that context, I ask her again to reconsider the 2 July deadline and ensure no family will suffer deprivation because of the cuts.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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First, in the budget we introduced an additional payment for those with children who went back to work.

That amounts to €30 per week per child. Neither the work done by the ESRI nor the other analysis includes that because it will come into effect this year. The Deputy has chosen to ignore the fact that if someone has three children, that is €90 a week additional to family income supplement-----

9:50 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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It is the Minister's answer to her parliamentary question.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----to assist them with regard to going back to work.

I know the Deputy has a difficulty with people going back to work, education and training.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have no difficulty. These are the Minister's figures.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, Deputy.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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His party seems to want welfare rather than work. The evidence around the world is that if people go to work-----

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister continuously twists it.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Deputy has not taken into account the back to work family dividend-----

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have taken into account the Minister's answer.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please Deputy.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----which for a lone parent with two children is worth €60 a week.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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These are the Minister's figures, not mine.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are other Deputies who have questions.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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For a lone parent with three children who could be going into employment or self-employment-----

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister dreamt it up.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----that is €90 a week. The Deputy's figures do not take that into account-----

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I refer to 21 January.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----because that scheme is coming in-----

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister remember the democratic programme?

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----in advance of the changes the Deputy is talking about.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We have to move on to Deputy Healy's question.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I reiterate that what almost all lone parents want to do is get involved in education and training as soon as their family and household circumstances permit them to do that. For people who are full-time lone parents not involved in work or study outside of the home, there is no change to their payments, and that is the vast majority of people. The Deputy is very well aware of that.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Disgraceful.