John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank all Senators who have contributed to this debate, especially those Senators who have given their support to many of the measures contained in it. I have listened carefully since I came here two hours ago. We are dealing with a huge budget of €20 billion, but in challenging times it is hard to accommodate all needs. I have listened carefully to what was said by those who spoke on the provisions contained in the Bill and other social protection issues. I appreciate the depth of feeling and sincerity of those who have criticised the measures being proposed. However, these measures are driven by budget 2012 and the need to reduce overall social welfare expenditure. They are also driven by the need to make the social welfare system better by encouraging people to move closer to the world of work and away from long-term social welfare dependency.

I will now respond to some of the points raised in the debate. It is acknowledged that lone parents and their children experience higher rates of consistent poverty than the general population. The rates of consistent poverty experienced by lone parents have remained at high levels, despite more than €1 billion being spent annually on the one-parent family payment and other supports. This also indicates that the long-term income support provided by the one-parent family payment without any requirement for the lone parent to engage in employment, education or training was not effective in addressing the poverty and social exclusion experienced by some of these families.

Social welfare is a hand up, not a hand-out. A key objective of the Government is the activation of people of working age in receipt of income support, including lone parents. This is reflected in the development of the national employment and entitlement service with a move from passive income support to active engagement with social welfare customers of working age. This involves the identification of customer needs and the provision of co-ordinated support to support them into education, training and employment.

Reform of the one-parent family payment and the activation policy in relation to lone parents of working age pose challenges. These challenges will require a whole of government response with regard to the provision of appropriate education, training and employment supports, as well as the provision of child care supports that all job-seeking parents will require, especially after-school care.

When the youngest child of a lone parent reaches the age of seven years, if the parent is still in need of income support, he or she can apply for jobseeker's allowance which is paid at the same basic rate as the one-parent family payment and receive the activation support attached to that payment. Lone parents will then be profiled and have their individual needs assessed. This will facilitate the agreement of a progression plan with these customers, the development of their case management to assist them either to improve on existing skills or learn new ones and their gradual move towards entry into the labour force. Before leaving the one-parent family payment a lone parent may also apply for the back to education allowance, back to work experience allowance or, if they are in employment for more than 19 hours a week, family income supplement.

Ireland's policy on lone parents is not out of step with the welfare approach of other countries. The changes to the one-parent family payment bring Ireland's support for lone parents more into line with international provisions, where there is a general movement away from long-term and passive income support. In the United Kingdom lone parents are obliged to seek work when their youngest child reaches the age of seven years. This applies in Northern Ireland where it is supported by Sinn Féin members of the Executive, although Sinn Féin Members of the Oireachtas lecture us on the matter. In the United Kingdom there is a work obligation where the youngest child reaches the age of seven years and lone parents whose youngest child is aged 12 years or under have the right to restrict the hours they are available to work when claiming jobseeker's allowance. They are not expected to work outside the child's normal school hours. If they are in employment, lone parents must be working 16 hours or more a week in order to claim a child care tax credit. The maximum help available varies. It is, for example, £140 a week for one child in registered child care. That is the situation in Northern Ireland which Sinn Féin supports and where it is part of the Executive. It has one policy here and another in Northern Ireland.