Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 6, before section 10, to insert the following new section:

"10.—The Minister for Social and Family Affairs shall, within three months of the commencement of this Act, lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on benefit for one-parent families.".

This benefit greatly helps one-parent families who are vulnerable because of their financial situation and the fact they are alone. It should ensure parents and children are not left in poverty. We have received many submissions from groups that work with one-parent families and it is our duty to ensure no child lives in poverty, although we know that is not the case. The overall measures in the budget and this Bill should help to alleviate that problem for many people.

There will, of course, always be some people left in poverty for one reason or another because of social circumstances in families so we must strive to ensure there are no anomalies and that every child gets a good start in life. That means leaving home having eaten breakfast in the morning with warm clothes to wear.

We must also recognise the stresses and pressures for parents. Getting them back into the workplace is vital and is the main way to protect people from poverty. There is no point in parents working, however, if the money they get does not supersede what they would get in benefits. The Minister is helping to address these issues and we must continue to work on them.