Jim Mitchell
Ceist:110 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a woman who is in receipt of deserted wife's allowance and takes up employment is only allowed to earn £6 per child, together with any child minding costs she incurs, after which a full pound is reduced from her deserted wife's allowance for every pound she earns; his views on whether this traps those on deserted wife's allowance in poverty and prevents them from taking up part-time employment; if, in the circumstances, he will amend the regulations so as to allow deserted wives in this position to earn at least £12 per week per child and include not only child minding costs, but transport costs to work, and also allow her retain at least 50 pence in every pound for the first £50 over and above this; and if he will make a statement on the matter.