Written answers

Wednesday, 31 October 2007

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

9:00 pm

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the proposed fundamental changes in State support for lone parents, referred to as activation strategies for lone parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26180/07]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of the proposed reform of lone parent State supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26181/07]

Photo of Paul Connaughton  SnrPaul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of incentives to further encourage lone parents in the labour market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26182/07]

Photo of Liz McManusLiz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his strategy in relation to eradicating poverty and welfare dependancy among lone parents; when he will formally reform the restrictive rules on cohabitation; the reasons for the delay in fully implementing the proposals for reform contained in Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents. [26274/07]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 100, 106 and 123 together.

The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals for the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents; the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents; focused provision of childcare; improved information services for lone parents and the introduction of a new social assistance payment for low income families with young children. The paper also proposed the abolition of the cohabitation rule as a condition for receipt of the proposed social assistance payment.

One of the proposals in the report was that the upper income limit for the new social assistance payment should be set at €400 per week. This proposal was implemented in Budget 2007 which in effect meant that the upper income limit increased by more than one third in two years.

In addition, the report recommended increasing the qualified child increase for recipients of the one-parent family payment. In Budget 2007 the three rates of qualified child increase, which had been maintained at the same levels for a number of years, were combined into a single rate of €22 per week in respect of over 340,000 children of welfare families.

The new social assistance payment, under development in my Department, has the long term aim of assisting people to achieve financial independence through supporting them into education, training and ultimately employment — the avenue that is widely agreed to offer the best route out of poverty.

As the Deputies know, any proposed new payment can only be introduced when the necessary co-ordinated supports and services are put in place on the ground by other Departments and Agencies. This is why the Government has asked the Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion to create an implementation plan to progress the non-income recommendations in tandem with the development of the legislation required in my Department to introduce any new payment. Discussions are ongoing with the relevant Departments and Agencies on issues including childcare, education, training and activation measures.

As part of this process, my Department, with the co-operation of FAS, the Office of the Minister for Children and the Department of Education and Science, are testing the non-income activation proposals in Coolock, Dublin and in Kilkenny. These tests are focused on identifying and resolving any practical and administrative issues that may arise in advance of the scheme being introduced. The tests are expected to run until the end of the year, with a report then being made to the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion. They will allow for operational and logistical co-ordination between the relevant Departments and Agencies to be considered and will facilitate the development of the policy and operational details of the new scheme and accompanying supports. At the moment there is no definite date available for the nationwide rollout of these reforms, but following the outcome of the tests it is hoped to move forward with the proposals as soon as possible.

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