Written Answers. - Family Policy.
John Bruton
Question:
42
Mr. J. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the action, if any, the Government is taking on the recommendation of the Commission on the Family that family incentives, such as the incentive to marry and form long-term stable relationships and provide joint partnership to children, should be accorded greater prominence in evaluating the outcome of public policy in general and with particular reference to the operation of the lone parent's allowance.
[8482/99]
The report of the Commission on the Family was published in July 1998. The report contains a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the issues affecting families in Ireland and wide ranging recommendations across several different policy areas.
The commission in its report made the point that there are in-built characteristics within the present structure of social welfare schemes – for example, the one-parent family payment and payments for families who rely on unemployment payments – which may restrict the choices for parents in relation to developing long-lasting and stable relationships for themselves and their children. The commission expressed the view that tax and social welfare policies should contain no unnecessary obstacles to couples in establishing a stable relationship and providing joint parenting to children. It also pointed out that family incentives should be accorded more prominence in evaluating the outcome of income support policies.
The commission expressed these views in the wider context of the role of public policy in promoting continuity and stability which have a major value for children in family life, the child's best interest being the paramount consideration in all situations. It is in this context that the commission stated that joint parenting should be encouraged where this is in the child's best interest so that children have the opportunity of developing close relationships with both parents.
The commission acknowledged that the issues involved are complex. They pointed out that income support for lone parent families is and must continue to be an essential priority for State policy in relation to these families because of their vulnerability and the challenges they face in rearing children without the support of the second parent. The commission described the financial pressures faced by low income two-parent married families, and the particular difficulties facing dependent spouses in gaining access to the labour market and training opportunities. The commission sought the introduction of greater equity in support measures so that families in this situation are not treated less favourably because of their married status. The commission called for these matters and other related matters such as the "co-habitation rule" to be kept under review. They noted that a working group had been established by the Government to examine the treatment of married, co-habiting and one-parent households under the tax and social welfare code and sought more research into families and family formation.
The working group has a specific brief to examine and compare the treatment of married, co-habiting and one-parent households under the tax and social welfare codes, including an examination of the income support arrangements attached to labour market programmes, to identify and cost ways of ensuring consistent and equitable treatment of the household types concerned, and to carry out research as necessary.
I expect to receive the report of the working group in the summer. The recommendations of the group and the views of the Commission on the Family will be fully considered in the context of the future development of policies to support the stability of families, as promised in An Action Programme for the Millennium.
In line with the Government's commitment to protect the family through political, economic, social and other measures, some £6.5 million has been allocated this year for the development of family services in my Department. This includes: £2.1 million for marriage, child and bereavement counselling; £1.2 million for the continued expansion of the family mediation service now available from eight centres throughout the country; provision for support projects to do with parenting issues and improved information services for families; and a families research programme, which I launched last month, to encourage high quality research about families to underpin the future development of policies and services.
