Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I wonder if the Minister of State could clear up this issue in the context of the wonderful new world that has been presented to lone parents of whatever gender. He made the comment - it is Government policy - that the way out of consistent poverty was through education and upskilling, but not everybody wants to be in the workforce. There are lone parents who would like to stay at home and raise their children for a number of years, but there is no incentive for them to do this.In fact, the opposite will be the case if these provisions are implemented. In her article last February, Ms White notes that when the one-parent family payment was introduced in 1997, it included an income disregard provision which meant that, by 2012, lone parents could earn up to €147.60 per week while still claiming the full one-parent allowance. That income disregard has been steadily eroded, Ms White points out, and now stands at €90 per week for lone parents. The suggestion that the family income supplement, FIS, restores the loss to lone parents is incorrect, she notes. In fact, it restores only 60% of the loss, not counting the fuel allowance. A lone parent in part-time work whose youngest child turns seven years of age on 2 July next may wake up on that day and find himself or herself worse off by €60 to €80 per week.

What is the situation for the 800 lone parents who care for another family member and are currently receiving the half-rate carer's allowance? If their youngest child is aged over seven in July, will they be obliged to rely on a full-time carer's allowance, thereby losing as much as €86 per week?

These are the facts of what is happening, as highlighted by the people who will be impacted. However these provisions are dressed up, their effect will be to leave lone parents worse off than they are now. Where are the jobs these people are supposed to take? I do not want to repeat everything Senator Cullinane said, but there is ample evidence of people who would like to work more but cannot get the hours. These measures are nothing more than a cost-saving exercise that is being dressed up as progressive legislation.