Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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593. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when the advisory group on tax and social welfare will report back on their findings and recommendations with regard to in-work supports for one parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37285/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Creating jobs and reducing unemployment are key challenges facing the Government. The tax and social protection systems have a part to play in addressing these challenges and in ensuring work is remunerative. To this end, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience to examine a number of specific issues. These include making cost-effective proposals for improving employment incentives and achieving better poverty outcomes.

The Group is currently progressing its final module of work on working age income supports and the interaction of the tax and social welfare systems which is very complex. This module is examining how the social welfare system can best achieve its goals of supporting persons through periods of involuntary unemployment, while incentivising work and dis-incentivising welfare dependency. This includes the role of in-work supports for families (both one and two parents), such as the Family Income Supplement. I look forward to considering the Group's report once their examination of the various issues is completed which I understand they plan to do by end year.