John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not think that when the Minister, Deputy Burton, initiated this two years ago she envisaged that people were going to lose money and it is acknowledged that many have gained money. Fianna Fáil is calling for the reversal of these changes, but that would mean the people who gained money would now lose money. That is not a good idea either. Some 4,000 or fewer people have suffered cuts to their money. I know the Department is working with each of them to figure out a way to improve their lot, but while somebody in Dublin might easily be able to get an extra couple of hours to get them over the 19-hour threshold, that is not the case down the country. If someone has 12 hours, that is it. There is no way an employer would be able to give them 19 hours so that they would benefit from the family income supplement.

That brings me to a suggestion. We should have a graduated FIS payment for people who have fewer than 19 hours, targeted at the lone parents, purely because of the cut they have suffered. It could be done very easily. Somebody who has 17 hours could be given 55% of the difference, rather than the 60% with the FIS. It is something we should look at so that they do not lose out. The back-to-work family dividend should not only apply to people who have 19 hours. It should apply to anybody who is working and under the 19 hours. Those are two areas the Minister of State should look at seriously. I know, as does the Opposition, that even if this motion is passed today, it will not change anything.