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

I do not propose to accept this amendment. The jobseeker’s transitional payment can be paid until a lone parent’s youngest child turns 14. The big thing about that payment is that people do not have to be looking for work. To extend eligibility for the payment until the youngest child turns 18 would be contrary to the Government’s policy goal of tackling long-term social welfare dependency and its associated poverty risks. We all know the route out of poverty is to get a job. Increasing the age of the children for which the jobseeker’s transitional payment can be paid would have the effect of delaying the interaction between affected customers and the Department’s Intreo services and, consequently, their access to training and employment support services. Improved access to these services will improve their skill sets and job readiness, thereby assisting with their transition into the workforce, and with their subsequent attainment of financial independence. It is worth noting too that there are other supports available for which lone parents might qualify when their youngest child is aged 14 or over. These include jobseeker’s allowance, the working family payment and the back to work family dividend. It is to their benefit that they are able to engage with the full support of the job activation measures, including if they want to retrain or upskill. We want to support them and help them with that journey so they can use their skills to get into full employment. As I said earlier, that in itself brings people out of poverty when they have a good job. I take the point the Senator is making but there are no plans to change that at the minute.