Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

69. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to raise the cut off age of the one-parent family payment to 14 years of age or to introduce additional measures to assist lone parents with children between the ages of 7 and 14, in view of the fact that recent SILC data shows that almost 60% of persons living in one parent households experience deprivation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17848/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The latest CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) for 2015 shows that the deprivation rate for lone parent households fell from 58.7% in 2014 to 57.9% in 2015.

The full impact of the recovery is not reflected in these figures. Macro-economic and labour market indicators show continued economic and employment growth. The social impact assessment of Budget 2017 showed that average household incomes increased for working lone parents by 1.2% and non-earning lone parents by 4.5% against a 1% gain for the average household.

This SILC data for 2015 also shows that being at work reduces the consistent poverty rate for lone parents by three-quarters, highlighting that the best way to tackle poverty among lone parents is to assist them into employment.

All lone parents on a jobseeker’s transitional payment gain access to a one to one meeting with an Intreo case officer and associated activation supports for up to 7 years in order to improve the individual’s employment prospects. Any change to the current policy would delay access to this essential service and would be a retrograde step in tackling poverty among lone parents.

There are no plans to raise the cut off age of the one parent family payment to 14 years of age.

Any additional measures to assist lone parents with children between the ages of 7 and 14 would have budgetary implications and must be agreed as part of Budget 2018 discussions.