Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Dec 2001

Vol. 546 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Reports.

Dick Spring

Question:

58 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the report commissioned by the Development Organisation Partnership, Tralee, County Kerry, which found that many lone parents were caught in a poverty trap; the steps he intends to take to deal with the issues identified in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31589/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I welcome the publication of the report to which the Deputy refers. It identifies the main issues affecting lone parents and reinforces the findings of other recent work in this area including my own Department's review of the one-parent family payment, OFP, published in September 2000, and the recently launched report on lone parents by the National Economic and Social Forum. The findings and recommendations of the report are very wide ranging and in many cases relate to the responsibilities of other departments and agencies.

Access to information services is an area highlighted in the report and I have initiated a programme for one-parent family payment recipients to ensure that they are aware of the employment, education and training available to them. This has taken the form of a mailshot issued to all recipients last year and the Department's employment support services are also becoming increasingly active in inviting lone parents for interviews and offering assistance to access employment, training and education initiatives.

I am also planning to localise the administration of the OFP scheme and a pilot project to that effect is under way in my Department's Tallaght office.

Concessions were also introduced in the Social Welfare Act, 2001 to try and improve the role maintenance payments play in the overall income of lone parents. Only 50% of maintenance received is now assessed for one-parent family payment purposes in addition to concessions which already existed in respect of maintenance paid for housing purposes.

In last week's budget I increased the rates of child benefit by £25.04 or 31.80 per month for each of the first and second children and £30.01 or 38.10 per month for the third and subsequent children and these increases will take effect from April. I have also increased the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for children aged over 12 from £78 or 99.04 to £94 or 120. In addition, I increased the personal rate of one-parent family payment by £8.06 or 10.23 per week. All these increases will be of major benefit to lone parents.

The Government is strongly committed to eliminating poverty for all our people and recognises the particularly high risk of poverty faced by lone parents.