David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I am making the point in case the Minister argues that we are making amendments to section 1 but we are opposed to section 4. I am setting out our context. We have listened to the Minister's comments in the Dáil and it seems she will go ahead with her plans to reduce the qualifying criteria to the youngest child being seven years old. The Minister could accept amendments Nos. 3 and 4. We should remind ourselves of the cuts which have an effect on lone parents. They include a reduction in income disregard from €146.50 to €130, with plans to lower the level to €60 by 2016. The Minister acknowledges child care cost and a lack of provision in the area. All we are getting is fine words but we have not seen deeds or action. We want the Minister to spell out clearly the plans of Government to enhance child care. Will she hold off on reducing the thresholds for entitlements so the child care provisions can be put in place?

There will also be cuts to community employment schemes and entitlements for lone parents. Lone parents want to take part in schemes and better themselves in order to provide a better life for their families but we see more cuts to affect those efforts. On Second Stage Senator Healy Eames spoke about a dependency culture but there are very few lone parents who see themselves as dependent on the State and wanting to be in that kind of cycle. We have 460,000 people out of work and the opportunities are not there currently for many lone parents. They need income and child care support. When those people go back to employment, re-train or participate in community employment schemes, they need income support to pay for child care. There is no other income support so where would these people get the money they require? The Minister should put herself in the shoes of a lone parent who is on a CE scheme. With the existing benefits, how in God's name would they be able to pay for child care? I do not see how it will work.

All of the other provisions in the budget, including changes to the back to school, clothing and footwear allowances, the household charge and other elements in the social welfare Bill will have an impact on lone parents. There are many lone parent advocacy groups who have lobbied the Minister and all of us to ensure that we try to correct bad decisions made by this Government. I was one of those who commended the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, when he put his hand up with respect to DEIS schools and said he made a mistake. He indicated that he should not have targeted the most disadvantaged people, communities and schools. He reviewed the issue, went back to the drawing board and admitted his mistake. The Minister here today went some of the way when she stated that there should be a link between these measures and child care support. It seems that these are just words and we need more convincing evidence from the Government that those child care provisions will be put in place.

The Minister's best course of action is to accept the amendments so there can be no implementation of a reduction in the age threshold until child care provisions are in place. They are reasonable amendments and I hope she will accept them. My colleague, Senator Ó Cloch-----