Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding recently proposed reforms to assist lone parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40025/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals to tackle obstacles to employment for lone parents and other low income families. These included 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.

Under the proposals the lone parenthood category of payment would no longer exist. Instead, a new payment would be made to all parents (living alone or with a partner), with young children, on low income. This new payment is currently being developed in the Department, taking into account the various issues raised in the consultation process.

Any proposed new payment scheme can only be introduced when the necessary co-ordinated supports and services are put in place on the ground by other relevant Departments and Agencies. This is why the Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion has been tasked with bringing forward a plan on the key issues of childcare, education, training and activation measures.

The non-income recommendations contained in the discussion paper were examined in two areas: Coolock and Kilkenny. These studies, which took place between November 2007 and February 2008, were carried out to facilitate the development of the policy and operational details of the new scheme. The process involved both lone parents and qualified adults. It was carried out on a voluntary basis and the take-up was low.

The experience has however highlighted how both lone parents and qualified adults are not a homogenous group, are of different ages, have experienced different routes into their current situation and have different needs. Educational levels of those who participated were generally low, there was little or no engagement with FÁS, some participants intended to return to full or part-time work when their child was a few months old; others, however, had been out of the work force for a considerable period of time. Earnings from previous employment were generally low. For almost all of those intending to return to work affordable childcare was a critical issue.

The experience of this engagement process is feeding into the development of our approach to working with lone parents and qualified adults to support them into education, training and employment.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who has no income from any source, an overdraft of €25,000, with a dependant spouse and three children, has been refused supplementary welfare allowance on that basis that they own two houses which are for sale; if consideration will be given to the fact that these two houses have been on the market for 18 months and have not sold; if she will expedite a decision on their jobseeker's allowance application and, in the meantime, ensure that supplementary welfare allowance is awarded in order that the family can be maintained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39236/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance (JA) and supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) pending a decision on his JA application, in September 2008. He has been asked by both social welfare local office staff and the community welfare officer (CWO) in the HSE, to provide additional information regarding his income in order that his claims can be further processed.

To date, the person concerned has not provided the information requested. He has been advised by the local office staff and the CWO that his claims cannot be progressed further until the additional information requested has been provided.

The CWO has further advised that the person concerned should contact him if he wishes to discuss his entitlement to SWA or seek clarification on other matters relevant to his claim.