Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators Higgins and Boylan. As we all know, it is not good practice to put the carrying out of reports into primary legislation We all give out about clunky legislation. I thank the Senators for withdrawing the amendment because we can carry out reports without putting them in primary legislation where they will sit forever. When I give the Senators my word that I will carry out a report, I will do it and they can hold me to account in this House if I do not.

On the amendment on parent's benefit and lone parents, this has been brought to my attention by representative groups for lone parents, such as One Family. The position is that while my Department makes the payments for parent's benefit, it is the Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, which has the policy and legislative responsibility. I will raise this matter with the aforementioned Minister. As I understand it, parent's leave is not transferable between parents under the EU work-life balance directive but I will raise it with the Minister. The idea of it is to encourage men to take their parent's leave and share the childcare responsibilities with the mother.

Senator Higgins mentioned the earnings limit or disregard. Last year, I provided for the earnings limit of €425 per week to be removed from the one-parent family payment. This means recipients of the payment no longer experience a cliff-edge when their employment income exceeds that amount.Instead, single parents can retain their payment and it is reduced gradually as their earnings increase. In addition, the income limit for the working family payment has been increased in recent budgets. In particular, this Bill provides for an increase of €10 per week in the income limit for families of all sizes. Approximately 50% of those who receive the working family payment are lone parents. As a result of the budget changes provided for in this Bill, there will be a €5 increase in working age weekly payments, including the one-parent family payment, from January 2022. The new personal weekly rate of payment will be €208. The Bill also provides that the qualified child payment will be increased by €3 to €48 per week for children aged 12 and over, and by €2 to €40 for children up to age 12. This measure will also benefit recipients of the one-parent family payment. We fund the Vincentian Partnership to compile and provide us with the minimum essential standard of living, MESL, report. We take it on board when we are forming the budget.