Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Social Protection his policy in relation to the ending of the ban on cohabitation for persons in receipt of one parent family payment and the replacement of this payment with a parental allowance. [43857/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The One-Parent Family Payment, by its nature, is not payable where the lone parent is co-habiting with the other parent of the child or with someone else as husband and wife. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents", which was published in 2006, proposed that the category of lone parenthood would be abolished. Instead, a parental allowance would be made to all parents (living alone or with a partner) with young children on a low income, thus ending the co-habitation rule. It will not be possible for my Department to progress this aspect of the proposal due, in part, to the current economic climate.

These proposals have, however, informed deliberations regarding the One-Parent Family Payment scheme.

The current duration of the One-Parent Family Payment, which is payable until the youngest child in a lone parent family reaches the age of 18 years – or 22 years if in full-time education – is not in the best interests of the recipient, their children or society.

Social welfare supports for lone parents should be designed to:

prevent long-term dependence on social welfare supports and facilitate financial independence;

recognise parental choice with regard to the 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, my Department has introduced changes to the One-Parent Family Payment in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010. For new customers, from April 2011, the One-Parent Family Payment will be paid until the youngest child in the family reaches the age of 14 years. For existing recipients of the payment, there will be a six-year phasing-out period to enable them to access education and training and to prepare them for their return to the labour market. Special provisions will be made for families with children for whom the Domiciliary Care Allowance is paid and for the recently bereaved (both married and co-habiting).

These changes will 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.