Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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1319. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason childcare fees are not considered as an expense in the eligibility for the one parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36908/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department in general does not allow expenses to be considered in the context of means assessment.  In this regard childcare costs are not considered in the means assessment of One-Parent Family payment (OFP), or any other social welfare payment.

In Budget 2018 I introduced a range of measures that would benefit lone parent families.  Firstly from 29 March 2018 the weekly rates of payment increased by €5 and the qualified child payment increased by €2 per week.

The earnings disregard on the OFP increased from €110 per week to €130 per week allowing a lone parent on One-Parent Family payment to earn an additional €20 per week before it affects their payment.

Government policy is to provide additional supports for parents and their children through increased services rather than increased cash transfers. This includes such services as free early-years education through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, and enhanced provision of affordable childcare.  These areas are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.