John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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671. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to introduce a comprehensive strategy of the long-term vision for lone parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11919/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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While social transfers play a crucial role in alleviating poverty, and Ireland is among the best performing EU States for reducing poverty through social transfers, tackling poverty in one parent families is not just about income supports and welfare. Rather it is also about supporting parents to make the transition into employment and assisting families through the provision of quality affordable services in areas such as education, health, housing and childcare. The diverse nature of these challenges demonstrates why the adoption of the whole of government approach is absolutely essential in order to tackle poverty and deprivation among one-parent families effectively.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is in the final stages of drafting the new Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy which will support and build on the Whole of Government Approach to tackling poverty adopted under the Better Outcome Brighter Futures Framework. The new strategy will assemble in one place the range of policy measures across government departments that are designed to address the different aspects of poverty and social exclusion.

It will include a programme of work to identify the actions and services that have the most significant impact on reducing poverty and deprivation for different groups, including lone parent families.

It is intended that it will include targeted actions to improve supports that allow lone parents to take up education, training and employment opportunities.