The situation whereby parents can obtain the Lone Parent Allowance until their child reaches 22 if the child is in full time education, is “not in the best interests of the recipient, their children or society,” the Minister for Social Welfare, Mary Hanafin, has said.

Minister Hanafin was responding to a Dáil question from Fine Gael TD, Olwyn Enright, about her plans to reform the Lone Parent payment.

The Minister said that the lack of any requirement under the current system for lone parents to engage in employment, education or training was also unhelpful.

Minister Hanafin added that, despite improvements made to the one-parent family payment over the years, a large proportion of lone parents and their children were still experiencing poverty.

She said: “In general, the best route out of poverty is through employment. We recognise that work, particularly full-time work, may not be an option for parents of young children.

“However, we believe that supporting parents to participate in the labour market once their children have reached an appropriate age will improve both their own economic situation and the social well-being of themselves and their families.”

Proposals designed to prevent long-term dependence on welfare and promote financial independence had been developed by the Department for Social Welfare, she said, and these would include “an expectation of participation in education, training and employment”.

The Government was considering a range of proposals to limit the length of time for which the one-parent family payment can be paid, including the age of the youngest child, she added.

Currently, Minister Hanafin said she was considering that the payment should cease when their last child reaches 13.

Internationally, the Minister pointed out, there had been a move away from long-term and passive income support. The changes will also bring Ireland’s support for lone parents more in line with international provisions, where there is a general movement away from long-term and passive income support.

Deputy Enright said that 84 per cent of lone parents were in work, seeking work or engaged in training or education. She said that the main concern of lone parents was that there was clarity as to when a decision would be made about the proposed reforms.

Minister Hanafin acknowledged there was a need to give lone parents notice to enable them to avail of the education and training they will need, and said there was no question of “simply cutting off the payment”.