The one-parent family payment (OFP) has played an important role in providing income support to lone parents. Changes have been made to the payment since its introduction in 1991, reflecting the changes taking place in society, the labour market and the expectations and realities of parents' lives, and particularly of mothers, in terms of work and care. These reforms continue that change. They recognise parental choice with regard to the care of young children, while, at the same time, having an expectation that parents will not remain outside of the workforce indefinitely. They aim to provide the necessary supports to lone parents to participate in education and training, to develop their skills, and to enter or move in the labour market and, ultimately, to achieve financial independence.
The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, 2012, introduces changes to the structure of the payment and the age of the youngest child at which the payment ceases. These changes are being brought in over time. I have acknowledged that reforming the OFP will require a whole of Government response. I am engaging with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the Minister for Education and Skills to have a co-ordinated, cross-departmental approach to ensuring that the required level of services is in place to support lone parents as their youngest child reaches the relevant age thresholds.
At the same time, the development of the National Employment and Entitlement Service (NEES) and the profiling of jobseekers, which is already underway in my Department, will lead to a better identification and understanding of the supports that individual customers need and the extent to which these are available and affordable. As part of this cross-departmental approach, discussions have already been taking place between officials from my Department and from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with regard to the development of a policy framework around after-school care, and, in the short-term, the assessment of the extent of the current provision of such care, the costs of such care to parents, and the demand for such services from lone parents.
