Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

294. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that are available for single parents with 50% or less custody of their child and or children; if her Department has considered the issue of single parents with significant minority custody time who may be struggling financially to provide for their children while in their care due to their ineligibility for child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35602/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Social Protection provides schemes specifically targeted at lone parents who have the main care and charge of the qualifying children, that is, they have morethan 50% of the custody, in addition to satisfying the other qualifying conditions such as the means test.

These schemes are the One-Parent Family Payment, where the youngest child is aged under 7 years of age, and the Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, where the youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.

Parents who have an income support need but who do not qualify for either of the above schemes may be eligible for other payments such as Jobseeker's Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance.