Social Protection Committee to resume discussions on issues facing lone parents

Committee Chairman John Curran said: “Our meeting tomorrow will focus on issues facing lone parents when we will have a discussion with Dr Michelle Millar and Dr Rosemary Crosse, Child and Family Research Centre NUI Galway, who are authors of the report  Lone Parents and Activation, what works and why: A review of the international evidence in the Irish Context. This report investigated best practice and innovative approaches to the labour market activation of lone parents in Ireland and internationally. It is an opportunity for Members to discuss this report in greater detail, to examine the barriers to paid employment experienced by lone parents, and to consider potential policies which may address this issue.

“We will also meet with representatives from children’s charity Barnardos which works with vulnerable children and their families and lone parents' group SPARK. Tomorrow we will get their perspectives on the issues facing lone parents, while Members will have an opportunity to raise any issues they may have in relation to supports for lone parents.”

This Committee will meet at 11am in Committee Room 2 tomorrow, Tuesday, 8 October 2016. Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

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