Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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394. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the social protection schemes recipients of the one parent family payment transfer to when ceasing to be eligible for that payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31396/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The number of one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients stood at 74,426 in June, 2014, and an estimated €863 million is expected to be spent on the scheme during 2014.

As a result of the reforms to the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme, once a lone parent’s youngest child reaches the relevant maximum age limit threshold, they will no longer be entitled to the OFP payment. However, should they continue to have an income support need, they may subject to satisfying the necessary conditions apply for another working age social welfare payment.

The majority of former OFP recipients are expected to claim one of the following payments when they transition out of the OFP scheme:

OFP recipients are also eligible to avail of certain employment schemes – such as community employment (CE) and jobbridge. Where entitlement to the OFP payment ceases, and a person is one of these schemes, they can continue on the employment scheme until its completion. The necessary arrangements are in place for their continued participation in such instances. The same process is in place for lone parents who are availing of an Education Training Board course.