Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2004
96 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on recent figures from the CSO which show that more than one third of all births here are outside marriage; if the social welfare system is suitably adapted to meet the requirements of the changing structure of the Irish family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33442/04]
View answerThe CSO figures reveal a trend in relation to non-marital births that is occurring not just in Ireland, but in a number of other developed countries as well. In many cases, the parents of the children are living together and will parent together. A significant proportion marry soon after the birth of their first child. Others continue to co-habit for a period afterwards. CSO figures also reveal that up to 40% of co-habiting couples have children and that a significant proportion are in their 20s.
There were 154,000 lone parent families in 2002 comprising one in six of all families with 85% headed by females. In terms of marital status, 40% were headed by a widowed person, 32% headed by a separated or divorced person, and 24% headed by a single person. The number in receipt of the one parent family payment in 2003, was 79,296, up from 58,960 in 1997, when the scheme was introduced. There were, in addition, 13,215 lone parents with children in receipt of payments under social insurance — 8,687 widowed persons and 4,528 deserted wives.
In total, therefore, 92,511 or up to 60% approximately are receiving weekly payments under the social welfare system. The social welfare system has provided income support and other services for lone parents and has adapted to the changes in recent decades that has seen, proportionately, a decline in the incidence of lone parenthood arising from widowhood, and a growth in the incidence arising from separation and divorce and from parents being unmarried.
Cohabiting couples with children are generally treated the same as married couples for the purposes of social welfare entitlements.
The profound and rapid social, economic and demographic changes occurring are having a major impact on families and family life. They may require modernisation of Government policies to support families in order to assist them in meeting the challenges posed by these changes, not least in reconciling work, the main route out of poverty, and family life. My Department is currently co-ordinating the preparation of a strategy for families in a changing society designed to ensure that the necessary modernisation takes place on an ongoing basis. The strategy is scheduled to be published in the first half of 2005.
97 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the situation with regard to the administration of the one parent family payment; the number and location of localised offices; his further plans and timescale to localise the remainder of these offices; the additional costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33513/04]
View answerThe one parent family payment is the income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons and also for prisoners spouses who are bringing up children without the support of a partner. The scheme was introduced in 1997 when it replaced a number of schemes for different categories of lone parent.
At the end of October 2004, there were 79,797 persons receiving one parent family payment. On average, some 350 new claims for one parent family payment are received each week, equivalent to approximately 18,000 per year.
As recipients of the one parent family payment are in a relatively young age bracket, they are more likely to move in and out of employment, education or training on a regular basis or to have other changes in their circumstances. Approximately 70,000 existing claims are revised each year, mainly for these reasons.
Administrative work relating to the one parent family payment has been carried out in a central unit in the pension services office in Sligo.
A comprehensive review of the payment arrangements for lone parents was undertaken by my Department in 2000. This review recommended the localisation of the administration of the scheme to bring lone parents into closer contact with the various support services available at local level. Localisation is intended primarily to improve client service, by reducing claim processing times through closer linkage with the local investigative officer network, as well as providing more direct local contact for lone parents with the Department's employment support services.
One parent family payment claim processing commenced in my Department's local office in Tallaght in 2001. Following the success of this initial project, local offices in Finglas and Waterford began processing one parent family payment claims at the end of 2003. During 2004, a major programme was undertaken to extend claim processing to a further 16 offices.
At the end of 2004, there will be a total of 19 local offices dealing with one parent family payment claim processing. This will mean that approximately half of all new one parent family claims received each year, that is, approximately 9,000 claims, will be dealt with in local offices. Processing will be extended to other local offices on a phased basis during 2005.
The process of devolving the administration of the one parent family payment to local offices is essentially a relocation of the service from a central to a local basis. While there will be costs arising during the process relating to training, localisation of the scheme will not result in any significant increase in the cost of administering the scheme.
I am satisfied that the social welfare arrangements in place for lone parents are appropriate. The policy in this area is to provide income support for lone parents while at the same time encouraging them to consider employment as a realistic alternative to long-term welfare dependency. The position is being kept under review on an ongoing basis.
98 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recommendation of the National Economic and Social Forum to establish a welfare to work colloquium with an interest in issues relating to welfare and work transitions to explore the development of a welfare to work strategy for groups such as lone parents; his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33517/04]
View answerThe NESF recommended the establishment of a welfare to work unit in my Department in its report on lone parents report no. 20 in 2001. As an initial step, it recommended that my Department should host a welfare to work colloquium to bring together the main players with an interest in welfare to work transitions to explore the development of a welfare to work strategy for groups such as lone parents.
Progressing from unemployment through appropriate education, training and work programmes in order to gain employment is accepted as the best means of tackling social exclusion. In this context, a wide range of active labour market programmes is available designed to address long-term unemployment and facilitate unemployed people to seek work. An integral ingredient to the successful implementation of the national employment action plan is an offer of work or the availability of a programme suited to the particular needs of the individual.
Implementation of the national employment action plan has contributed to approximately 68% of those referred to FÁS under the plan signing off the live register. Overall, 84% of interviewees who had left the unemployed register were still off the register at the end of the 12th month after referral.
My Department's facilitators also advise and encourage those on social security payments such as unemployed people or lone parents to progress to employment or education-training through the range of active labour market programmes available. They also seek out job opportunities, work-skills outlets and other self-development opportunities. Facilitators work closely with FÁS and the education authorities at local level to secure an appropriate outcome for disadvantaged individuals.
The facilitators now also work with younger lone parents, families who have caring responsibilities and who therefore have more complex needs in terms of support and activation. The Department also operates a range of active labour market programmes, including the back to work scheme which encourages long-term unemployed people to take up opportunities of employment or self-employment and the back to education allowance scheme which facilitates the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups in gaining access to second chance education, either at second or at third level.
The objective in this area is to raise educational and skills levels among the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups in order that they will meet the requirements of the modern labour market.
I am committed to reviewing the income support arrangements for lone parents in light of reports and emerging analysis. These reports include the NESF fourth periodic report as well as the review of the one parent family payment published by my Department. Ireland has also participated in an OECD project on reconciling work and family life, which includes a detailed analysis of the position of lone parents in a comparative context. These reports will inform the review of lone parents' income support arrangements.
The question of colloquium on welfare to work or other appropriate consultative arrangements to assist in the consideration of future policy in this area will be considered in the context of the review.
