Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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490. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to counteract the serious effects resulting from the eradication of the one parent family tax credit, such as increased poverty, resorting to social welfare, and increasingly difficulties for parents to meet the costs of raising a family; if investment in affordable childcare will form part of the initiatives to offset the consequences of the tax credit change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45988/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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It was announced in Budget 2014 that, from 1 January, 2014, the one-parent family tax credit will be replaced with a new single person child carer tax credit. The one-parent family tax credit and the change to the single person child carer tax credit are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan T.D. and will be provided for in the Finance Bill (No. 2), 2013. This new tax credit will be to the same value as the current tax credit and will be available to the principal carer of a child. It will continue to act as an incentive for that parent to avail of employment opportunities.

It is not possible to quantify the impact that the introduction of the single person child carer tax credit may have on payments made to recipients of the One Parent Family payment (OFP) who are the principal carer of their child or children. However, as is normal practice my Department will continue to review cases where a change in circumstances is brought to its attention.

Child care policy, including the delivery and/or expansion of child care services, is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. The after-school child care scheme announced in Budget 2013 will continue to provide subsidised after-school child care places into 2014. In addition, I have secured the agreement of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on a new strand of child care support for customers of my Department who are participating in the community employment scheme. This new childcare support will be provided via the existing child care education and training supports scheme that is currently administered by the Department for Children and Youth Affairs.