Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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10. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which alternative payment arrangements for lone parents whose one-parent family allowance has ceased or been reduced continue to match their previous payment entitlements under the one-parent family scheme; if any exception has been brought to her attention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24801/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question relates to an issue that was raised by earlier questions. While I agree with the Tánaiste's policy on ensuring that lone parents have an opportunity to enter the workforce, improve their positions and so on, some households are seeing reductions in their disposable incomes. Will the Tánaiste clarify whether a counterbalancing can be introduced?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the one-parent family payment age reforms that were introduced in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012 is to reduce long-term social welfare dependency. The reforms aim to improve lone parents' access to the Department's range of education, training and employment support programmes in order to assist them in securing employment and financial independence for themselves and their children. In this context, I specifically provided for a lengthy seven year transition period. The relevant age in Ireland is seven years, but it is five years in the social welfare systems of almost all of the countries with which we are familiar.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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We do not have child care.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In the North, the rest of the UK and Scandinavia, the age is five years or younger.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Scandinavian child care.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In our system, the age is seven years. There is a lengthy seven year transition period up to 14 years of age.

The final phase of the one-parent family changes will happen in July when the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which a one-parent family payment per seceases will be reduced to seven years for all recipients. They will then transfer into a seven year transitional period up to the age of 14 years. Where lone parents are at home full-time, there will be no change in their circumstances except for the fact that all of the opportunities and supports that are open to people in terms of seeking and returning to work, education, training and experience will be available to them on a voluntary basis if they wish to get involved.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Tánaiste for her reply. I agree with the thrust of the policy, but will she keep a watching brief so as to reassure families that might find themselves vulnerable that their disposable incomes will remain intact as far as possible?

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It would not be a cutback if-----

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department's system is changing. Traditionally, departmental officials did not meet people on a one-to-one basis to support them. In the two years of the changes to date, approximately 19,000 lone parents have entered the transitional arrangement, so we now have a great deal of experience of how it works. People are called into group interviews to make them aware of the Department's services, followed by meetings on a one-to-one basis. It is like the Youth Guarantee, in that we are asking people to make life plans for their futures in terms of education, training and employment.

At the height of the boom in 2004, the number of lone parents who were at risk of poverty was four and a half times that of people who were not lone parents. In 2015, the changes have led to that figure decreasing to two and a half times. In any case of which Deputy Durkan is aware, I would ask the person to visit an employment officer and discuss the individual circumstances, and we will see what is possible. Approximately 2,000 parents affected by these changes have increased their hours so as to claim family income supplement, FIS, and are significantly better off financially-----

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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FIS has been cut.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----than they used to be. It is simple - a lone parent working 19 hours on a minimum wage plus FIS and the back to work family dividend, which I just introduced to help all parents who were returning to work, would receive an income of approximately €400 compared with a much lower income on a lone parent payment only where he or she had only one child.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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That is a "No".

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Tánaiste's own constituents are sending her letters about FIS being cut for women by €37 per week. Blatant lies. I can see why Fine Gael is doing it, but I do not know why the Tánaiste is.