Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 6, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following:

“Report on Parent’s Benefit for one-parent families 8. The Minister shall, within nine months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay a report before both Houses of

the Oireachtas on the potential extension of entitlement for the full duration of Parent’s Benefit for one-parent families, to include a consideration of the public duty on equality and human rights and the rights of the child.”.

The Minister gave some signal that she is ready to engage on this area in the debate in the Dáil. I add myself to those who hope for such engagement. The Minister has indicated that she intends to engage with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. This is around the situation we have concerning full parental benefit for one-parent families.

With regard to that engagement the Minister has committed to, I will highlight two matters of importance. There is the decision on the rights of the child which by referendum the people chose to put into the Constitution quite recently. It is important and should be imperative in ensuring every child is entitled to the same sort and period of care during early development, regardless of whether it is by one or two parents. There is also the obligation on the Minister's Department and all Departments in terms of the public duty on equality and human rights. One of the grounds on equality is family status. Will the Minister ensure family status is one of the grounds in terms of our equality legislation as well as being that public duty to actively promote equality and human rights? I want to signal those as matters to be incorporated in the discussion and engagement around the issue of parent's benefit.

Amendment No. 9 relates to income disregard. The income disregard for lone parents was cut many years ago, before the Minister's time. It was a poor decision and made it harder for lone parents to access work. It has been incrementally restored. We hear it has been raised but it has not; it has just been incrementally restored towards where it was initially. We are only looking towards restoring it to where it was, when we should be having a conversation about increasing the income disregard. The income disregard for those on carer's allowance is much higher than that for those parenting alone. The problem is, because it was on a slow climb back to where it was, we have not had the conversation on how the disregard matches on to the research the Minister's Department has used in other areas, such as the qualified child payments. It is rightly used in recognising the kinds of costs the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice has identified in terms of minimum essential standards of living.

I want to signal it because I am hearing it is being increased but it is just being restored. I would like that to be examined with the tools the Minister has in the Department, such as the minimum essential standards of living, looked at with regard to how it pans out compared with other payments and that consideration be given to not just restoring but increasing the income disregard for those parenting alone in the next budget if not this one.