One Family responds to OECD report on children in poverty and stresses importance of Family Day 15 May
Media Release 28 April 2001: One Family responds to OECD report on children in poverty and stresses importance of Family Day 15 May
The latest OECD report tells us about the wide range of family changes that are taking place across Europe and highlights that poverty in households with children is rising in nearly all countries. One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, once again urges Governments to ensure that family support policies protect the most vulnerable.
Candy Murphy, One Family Policy Manager, was disappointed at Ireland continuing to spend less on children than other European countries. “This impacts disproportionately on the poorest and most vulnerable children who are often living in one-parent families,” she comments.
Karen Kiernan, One Family Director continues: “It is disappointing to see that Ireland is near the top of the table for OECD countries in terms of the percentage of children living in poverty. What is also unfortunate is that it has been repeatedly shown that children in one-parent families are poorer than other children and that the supports are just not there to help lone parents on social welfare to get off social welfare and into sustainable employment that can pay for their rent, childcare and other costs. Lone mothers work at a higher rate than married mothers but earn far less and their families are far poorer.”
Unfortunately it seems that Ireland is ill-equipped to keep up-to-speed with the increasing rates of child and family poverty; the increase in one-parent families and the supports needed to help women into employment. “We have seen more families separate and end up on social welfare because of the recession, we are very concerned because flexible and responsive policies are needed,’ Karen Kiernan continues. “On a more positive note, One Family and EBS Building Society are asking everyone to mark International Family Day on 15 May to celebrate family diversity and drive home the point that all types of families matter and deserve recognition and support.”
For more details on the Family Day picnic in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on 15 May see www.familyday.ie. People are encouraged to attend the picnic – or to hold their own event to celebrate family day, register it on-line and be in with a chance of winning Euro 1000 which would surely be welcomed by many families in these hard times.
Contact Karen Kiernan, Director, One Family 01 6629212 see www.familyday.ie. For OECD report: http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_21571361_44315115_47698550_1_1_1_1,00.html
