Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Currently, some 55% of women participate in the workforce. If we are to deliver these potential growth rates in the economy we must get more Irish people working. Some €660 million is paid out annually on lone parent allowances while only 55% of women work. We need to get more of those parents back into the workforce, see that they are educated and are ambitious for their children. They could contribute money to the Exchequer rather than receive social welfare allowances.