Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome last night's contribution from the Minister for Social Protection on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012. She made it clear that the changes proposed to the lone parents scheme are conditional on adequate child care arrangements being put in place in the next budget. She has laid down an important marker in this regard. I have met with groups representing lone parents and I know that in principle there is support for the important reforms the Minister wishes to make to ensure the State no longer plays an intrusive role in determining the nature of parental relationships. The question of whether a parent is alone or in a relationship should not be a concern for the State. The State's concern should be for bringing children out of poverty. The lone parent benefit, which has been in place for a long time, has a poor output in terms of bringing lone parents and their children out of poverty. The Minister is committed to making the scheme more effective but she recognises that the planned phased reduction in the age of children will not work unless access to affordable, safe and high quality child care is also made available. We will be debating this issue next week.

I welcome the debate on a Private Members' Bill on abortion which took place in the Dáil last night, 20 years after the X case. There was unfavourable comment on the issue in this House yesterday. I was perturbed to hear some Senators criticise the National Women's Council and the Irish Family Planning Association. I commend these organisations for hosting an important presentation yesterday, some of which I was privileged to attend.