Sir, – According to the 2016 census, there are 218,817 one-parent families of which 86.4 per cent are headed by women.
Approximately one in five children belong to a one-parent family. The challenges faced by one-parent families are well documented, eg higher risk of homelessness and poverty.
However, it is evident that political parties such as Fine Gael ignore this family type when making policy decisions as nowhere did one-parent families – to which my daughter belongs – feature on the recent cost of living pamphlet issued in my constituency.
As highlighted to local politicians, maybe this exclusion arises from the fact that for the second budget in a row, the Government failed to increase the single person child carer credit in line with the single person tax credit – historically they were aligned.
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To me, this signals the Government’s attitude towards those parenting alone and demonstrates the misogynistic attitude that pervades policymaking in Ireland.
It is time that all family types are recognised in the Constitution. It is not just the gender pay gap that policymakers need to focus on but the impact of all budgetary and policy decisions on vulnerable groups in our society such as one-parent families and carers.
– Yours, etc,
SANDRA NÍ DHUBHDA
Stillorgan, Co Dublin.