Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Survey on Income and Living Conditions in Ireland is a household survey covering a broad range of issues in respect of income and living conditions produced by the Central Statistics Office. One of the key findings of the latest survey, published last week, was that enforced deprivation was experienced by 30.5% of the population in 2013, up from 26.9% in 2012. Enforced deprivation is defined as a scenario where people are unable to afford at least two basics, such as keeping one's home adequately warm, new clothes or replacing worn out furniture. The advent of deprivation experienced by 30.5% of the population is a significant change in the latest CSO survey on income and living conditions.

In the survey, an analysis of socio-demographic characteristics showed that those living in households with one adult and one or more children have the highest deprivation rate at 62.2%. I am speaking on behalf of Louise Bayliss of SPARK, Single Parents Acting for the Rights of Kids. Single parents are already the most economically vulnerable group in our society. The changes to Government policy to be introduced by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, in July will make matters even worse. Any lone parent who has a child over the age of seven years will no longer be categorised as a lone parent. Such persons will be moved to the family income supplement or jobseeker's allowance, as the case may be. Lone parents who are full-time carers will lose €86 per week in July if the youngest child reaches seven years of age.

I asked the Leader to invite the Minister to the House to discuss the latest CSO survey on income and living conditions. It is one of the most serious issues in the country at the moment.

The bureaucracy is so tight here in the Oireachtas that I did not get any time to speak on the situation at Aer Lingus yesterday. With the Cathaoirleach's grace, I would like to say that I am totally opposed to the Government selling our 25% share in Aer Lingus.