Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Is dóigh gur ceart dom, tar éis an méid atá ráite ag mo chomhleacaí an Seanadóir Ó Maoláin, iarratas a dhéanamh go dtabharfaí cuireadh don Chéad Aire agus don Leas-Chéad Aire sa Tuaisceart teacht ar chuairt anseo, mar is léir fós go bhfuil go leor míthuisceana ann maidir leis an chaoi a bhfuil an stát á riaradh thuas ansin. As part of the programme of bringing guest speakers to the House, we should invite the First Minister and Deputy First Minister from the Northern Executive to clarify the situation in the North as there is considerable misinformation as highlighted by what Senator Mullins has said.

I raise the issue of a group in a very difficult and vulnerable position at the moment - lone parents. They are being demonised in the media at the moment and there is considerable misinformation about their situation. The SPARK organisation is campaigning on their behalf and is trying to bring to the attention of the media and politicians the difficult situation in which they find themselves. This morning the Seven is too Young group, representing the OPEN, NWCI and Barnardos made a very good presentation highlighting the problems they have with the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. I call for a debate on the situation of lone parents.

I am afraid we are falling back into an almost 1950s mentality with single mothers being told they might as well stay at home with their children and raise them. They are being made to feel they should not worry about trying to get educated or get a job. They are made feel unimportant and they see others being prioritised. That is a very dangerous road to go down. Their plight crosses many different Departments. There are issues regarding social protection, finance, education, transport, housing, children and health. There is considerable expertise in the Seanad which would be a very good place to have a debate on these different issues. We have people with experience in many of these issues in their own child care authorities and representative organisations in which they have worked. Such a debate could be very beneficial and would be very timely. These people certainly feel marginalised and if some of the changes proposed are forced through, it will have a very detrimental effect on their situation and on society in general for the next 20 or 30 years.