David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has set up a working group to review the position of lone parents and relevant social welfare payments; when the group was established; the frequency with which it has met; the names of the members of the group; when it will complete its review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5551/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has been involved in a number of reviews and studies related to the one-parent family payment. These have included the Department's review of the one-parent family payment, regarding which a report was published in October 2001, and participation in an international OECD study on reconciling work and family life, entitled Babies and Bosses, Volume II of which contains the findings on Ireland. The Department has also assisted in NESF studies on lone parents. Relevant research has been carried out under the Department's family research programme and by the Combat Poverty Agency, the ESRI and other bodies in this general area.

In November 2004, following discussion at the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, it was decided that priority be given to specifically examining obstacles to employment for lone parents.

The aforementioned OECD report shows that employment participation among lone parents in Ireland is relatively low compared to that in other OECD countries. Jobless households are particularly at risk of poverty and the fact that lone parents and their children are among the groups most at risk may, in part at least, be attributed to the relatively low level of employment participation. It was therefore concluded that action in this area would be a key element in the context of the special initiative on ending child poverty under Sustaining Progress.

This task was entrusted to the senior officials' group on social inclusion, which reports to the Cabinet committee. The senior officials' group has set up a small steering group to examine the issue in detail and prepare a draft report for consideration by the group and, when completed, the Cabinet committee. Both the senior officials' group and steering committee are chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, and the secretariat to the latter group is provided by the family affairs unit in my Department. The Department of Finance and the office for social inclusion in my Department are also represented on the steering group. Representatives of other Departments will participate as necessary.

The steering group held its first meeting recently and will meet on a regular basis with a view to completing its draft report by mid-year. It is expected that the final report will be presented to the Cabinet committee on social inclusion in the second half of the year.

The report will contain an analysis of obstacles to employment for lone parents which may arise in current support arrangements, including income support, education and training, employment, health, housing and accommodation, with recommendations on how these obstacles could be overcome and what further supports may be required to facilitate lone parents in taking up employment, including information provision. Special account will be taken of the findings of a report that NESC has been commissioned to prepare, under Sustaining Progress, on the possible merging the child dependant allowance, CDA, with the family income supplement.

A list of the members of the steering group on lone parents is given in Appendix A.

The secretary to the group is Mr. Heber McMahon, Department of Social and Family Affairs.