Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans to reform the one parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8948/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Government believes that the current arrangements, whereby a lone parent can receive the One-Parent Family Payment until their child is 22, without any requirement for them to engage in employment, education or training, are not in the best interests of the recipient, their children or society.

Despite improvements made to the One Parent Family Payment over the years, a large proportion of lone parents and their children are still experiencing poverty.

In general, the best route out of poverty is through employment. We recognise that work, and especially full-time work, may not be an option for parents of young children. However, we believe that supporting parents to participate in the labour market, once their children have reached an appropriate age, will improve both their own economic situation and the social well-being of themselves and their families.

The Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of the One-Parent Family Payment and developed proposals which are designed to:

Prevent long-term dependence on welfare and facilitate financial independence;

Recognise parental choice with regard to care of young children but with the expectation that parents will not remain outside of the labour force indefinitely, and

Include an expectation of participation in education, training and employment, with supports provided in this regard.

To meet these social policy objectives, the Government is considering various options for limiting the length of time for which the One-Parent Family Payment can be paid (including the age of the youngest child). Any such changes would be phased in over a number of years for existing recipients to enable lone parents to access education and training and to prepare them for their return to the labour market.

The changes will also bring Ireland's support for lone parents more in line with international provisions, where there is a general movement away from long-term and passive income support. The EU countries achieving the best outcomes in terms of tackling child poverty are those that are combining strategies aimed at facilitating access to employment and enabling services (e.g. child care) with income support.

We are conscious that many lone parents will need access to education, training and activation measures in order to acquire the skills they will need to gain employment. The Department has been working closely with other agencies to ensure that the broader needs of lone parent families are met and the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment currently being finalised will be progressed in that context.