Government must prioritise targeted measures for children in one-parent families in Budget 2027
One Family launch Pre-Budget Submission
30th June 2026 – For immediate release
One Family today launched their Pre-Budget Submission 2027, calling for urgent government action to tackle increasing inequalities for one-parent families.
Featuring the lived experience of lone parents from One Family’s Advocacy Project, the submission highlights:
- That income disregards (the amount of money somebody can earn from work before their social protection supports are impacted) have not kept up with minimum wage increases, which is actively deterring lone parents from employment.
- How the gap between Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and real cost of rents is fueling poverty and deprivation.
- That high levels of in-work poverty for lone parents are driven by limited access to third-level education.
- There is insufficient funding for out-of-court supports to meet demand, including One Family’s Separating Well for Children, which supports families where there is domestic violence or high parental conflict.
Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said:
“We cannot normalise the year-on-year increases in child homelessness and poverty in one-parent families. Although the overall poverty rate dropped last year, for one-parent families, it rose. That is a clear warning bell to Government that Budget 2027 must deliver positive changes for one-parent families. Government can do better and must do better, and Budget 2027 is an opportunity to get it right for one-parent families.
Our Pre-Budget Submission lays out key actions Government must take to address child poverty, family homelessness, access to education and family law reform. These are evidence-based, targeted solutions which will help the families who need it the most. We urge Ministers to prioritise targeting above universal measures in Budget 2027. It’s consistently shown that it’s higher earners who benefit most from universal actions, not families living in poverty or deprivation. Budget 2027 will show what families Government prioritises, and whether they can match their words of commitment to reduce child poverty in Ireland to 3%, with specific actions to reduce child poverty in this Budget.”
Aisling Kelly, Parenting Manager, One Family:
“For many of the families we support through our Separating Well for Children service, there can be an impossible choice. Increasingly, separated and separating parents tell us they are forced to remain living in the one home as suitable and affordable accommodation is simply not available. In cases of domestic abuse many parents are faced with living in emergency accommodation, which can be unsafe and unsuitable for children, or return to the family home and risk further abuse. This is the desperate reality of the housing crisis. Insecure housing impacts everything for one-parent families, driving up poverty, deprivation and ability to move forward with their lives. We see this daily with the families we proudly support at One Family and our call to Government is simple: get it right for one-parent families in Budget 2027.
[ENDS]
For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie
You can read One Family’s Pre-Budget Submission here: https://onefamily.ie/policy-positions-submissions/
Notes to Editor:
- One Family is Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting, and separating. We have been working with one-parent families for over 50 years. We provide a range of direct services to parents and children, along with campaigning and advocating for legislative and social change to deliver true equality for all families. Services include direct family support, parenting courses, New Futures employability programme, AskOneFamily helpline and counselling for those experiencing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. You can learn more about One Family at www.onefamily.ie
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Press Release — NOPFA Demands Urgent Action on One-Parent Family Homelessness
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Three out of every four families entering homelessness are one-parent families since eviction ban has been lifted
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Dublin, Thursday 23rd November 2023
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Prior to the upcoming release of the Department of Housing’s monthly report on homelessness, the National One Parent Family Alliance (NOPFA) is calling on the Government to take immediate measures towards addressing the dire housing crisis affecting one-parent households. According to recent data from the department, one-parent families account for an alarming three out of every four families entering homelessness since the eviction moratorium was lifted last April.
It cannot be denied that one-parent families, particularly those with lower incomes, face challenges when competing against higher income households in terms of securing rental properties and social and affordable housing. They continue to struggle with a shortage of rental properties, and additionally, they may also encounter discrimination due to their family status.
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Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family and Chair of NOPFA said, “It is shocking and unacceptable that in 2023, the housing crisis is disproportionately affecting young children and lone parents. Daily we see and hear from these vulnerable families on their constant struggles in very difficult conditions. It’s heartbreaking to know that these individuals are being disregarded by the Government, leaving them to fend for themselves. The lack of action from the Government only reinforces the message that they do not matter. Immediate action needs to be taken to address this pressing issue.”
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As the calendar turns once more, it is disheartening to see that no significant steps have been taken by the Government towards addressing the challenges faced by one-parent families and those experiencing homelessness. These individuals continue to struggle with a shortage of rental properties, inadequate housing, a lack of necessary support services, an inability to compete with two-income households and a glaring absence of comprehensive national policies.
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Louise Bayliss, Campaign Coordinator with Focus Ireland said, “It is unfortunate that there is currently no specific strategy or taskforce in place to aid one-family households facing homelessness. The fact that this is happening in modern times is truly regrettable. It is crucial to establish a cohesive method of assisting these families from the time they receive an eviction notice.”
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Commenting on the imminent threat of homelessness a lone parent stated,
“I am a lone parent, single mother on a low income and have faced so many barriers over the years, but this is the worst one, as it really affects my son. We have rented a property for thirteen and a half years and have been issued with two notices to quit in five years. I am at my wits end with it all, we have been on the housing list since 2005. We are now expected to get up and live a normal life outside of a looming eviction with no alternative accommodation. To be honest it’s not fair. And it makes me so angry. I feel there’s barriers that single-parent families have to face and battle everywhere, preventing anyone from progressing forward out of low income situations.
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Fergal Landy, CEO of the Family Resource Centre National Forum said, “Family Resource Centres strive to empower and strengthen children, families, individuals, and communities throughout Ireland. It is incredibly frustrating to see scarce resources expended on dealing with the avoidable impact on children of living in emergency accommodation and experiencing homelessness. It is crucial for prompt measures to be taken in tackling the housing crisis, particularly for lone parents, to prevent the many costly adverse outcomes that will inevitably arise for children if comprehensive action is not taken.”
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The National One Parent Family Alliance (NOPFA) urges the government to focus on the following actions specifically targeting one-parent families:
- Remove Child Maintenance from means testing for housing supports such as HAP and Rent Supplement. It is a payment for children and when it is being paid, should be considered a means to support one-parent families out of poverty.
- Establish a dedicated team in the Department of Housing to investigate the disproportionate increase of homelessness on one-parent families and offer practical solutions.
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Note to editors:
About National One Parent Family Alliance
The National One Parent Family Alliance comprises of national organisations including Barnardos, One Family, Family Resource Centre National Forum, FLAC, Focus Ireland, National Women’s Council, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SPARK, and Treoir. This Alliance was established in 2020 around a shared concern about the high levels of poverty experienced by lone parents and their children.
Children in one parent families are four times more likely to experience poverty than children in two parent families. Prior to cost-of-living increases, 17% of one parent families lived in consistent poverty, 45% were experiencing enforced deprivation and almost 80% were unable to afford an unexpected expense. Despite making up only 20% of families in Ireland, one parent families account for 56% of homeless families. (EU SILC, 2022).
For media inquiries, please contact:
Laura Curtin, Communications Manager at One Family | t: 086 853 7043
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