Vol. 511 No. 1
46 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether qualified adult dependant allowances should be raised to 70% of the main rate; and the further progress, if any, with regard to an individualised payment system. [23605/99]
67 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his policy approach following the failure of the working group examining the treatment of married, cohabiting and one parent families under the tax and social welfare codes to produce a report with agreed recommendations. [23593/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 67 together.
The report of the working group examining the treatment of married, cohabiting and one parent families under the tax and social welfare code was published in August of this year. The working group was chaired by my Department and comprised representatives from the Department of Finance, Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Revenue Commissioners, the Combat Poverty Agency and the National Social Services Board.
The group examined a wide range of issues relating to the tax system and the social welfare system. While it failed to agree on the direction policy in these areas should take the group did undertake research and put forward a number of very radical suggestions for reform which have already given rise to much discussion and debate. I consider that the report of the working group makes a very useful contribution to the debate on the structure and objectives of our tax and social welfare systems and how these are adapting to meet the changes which are occurring in our society.
The working group did put forward a number of proposals for examination which are relevant to my Department. These include increasing the rate at which the qualified adult allowance is paid to 70% of the personal rate, a restructuring of child benefit to give additional support during a child's early years, payments to lone parents and individualisation of the social welfare system. The suggestions relating to the qualified adult allowance and child benefit will be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget. The issues raised by the working group in relation to payments to lone parents will be considered further in the context of a review of the one-parent family payment which has commenced under my Department's expenditure review programme.
