PRESS RELEASE

2015-04-19
Burton's vendetta against single parents
Cllr Samie Morris of Sinn Fin has described the latest policy change from Tnaiste Joan
Burton to phase out payments to lone parents when their child reaches 7 years of age as part
of a vendetta against the disadvantaged. As a former single parent, he says he understands
the difficulties that lone parents face, but the Labour leader clearly does not.
Cllr Morris had a motion passed this month by Tipperary County Council drawing attention to
the on-going reductions in supports to lone parents, and calling on the Tnaiste and Minister
for Social Protection to halt her plans to stop payments to lone parents when their child
reaches age 7.
The Minister made commitments to ensure that affordable and accessible childcare would be
available before payments would be phased out. That hasn't happened, and this country still
has some of the highest childcare costs in the OECD.
Now she wants to push another 30,200 parents into greater poverty trying to pay for the other
things that children need. She's disallowed lone parents from benefiting on CE schemes; she's
eliminated half-rate payments; she's got rid of 6-month transitional payments; she's stopped
lone parents from working as home help; she's even cut the income threshold for lone parents
who take up low-paid employment.
Lone parents have also been affected by all the other cuts, including to fuel allowance, rent
supplement, back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, and all on top of the cuts to child
benefit.
Cllr Morris points out that the 30,200 people that she's targeting now are on top of the 11,000
that Ms Burton has already penalised.
Cllr Morris was speaking while preparing for the Sinn Fin candidate selection convention on
April 27th. He is one of 3 Sinn Fin councillors who are seeking nomination to represent Sinn
Fin in the next general election in Tipperary.
Pointing out that there hasn't been an adequate response from the Tnaiste to questioning
about social welfare by fellow Tipperary native Mary Lou McDonald in the Dil, Cllr Morris said
that he was looking forward to joining her there in pressing for answers.
I wonder what the point of Labour in government is, said Cllr Morris. The Tnaiste is also the
Minister for Social Protection, which is worrying. If that's her version of 'Social Protection', I'd
hate to see her in charge of 'Social Victimisation'. Maybe that's what it actually says on the door
of her office.
ENDS
Cllr Seamus Morris is available to answer questions on 087-285-9125

Photographs (2)
2015-04-05 Campaigning for a yes vote in Nenagh: South Dublin Mayor Fintan Warfield and Cllr
Samie Morris.

2015-04-19 Cllr Samus Morris with Canadian visitor Holly Brown and master hurley-maker
and craftsman, man Phil Bourke.