26th March 2026

One Family will brief TDs and policymakers in the AV Room at Leinster House today about critical issues impacting one-parent families across Ireland. Urgent political action is needed on issues including family law reform, child poverty, family homelessness and access to education for one-parent families across Ireland.

Event speakers include:

• Professor Katriona O’Sullivan, author of Poor
• Naomi Connolly, Parent from One Family Advocacy Project
• Joyce, New Futures Employability Programme Participant
• Karen Kiernan, CEO One Family
• Sinéad Gibney, Social Democrats TD and Lone Parent

TDs will be given a policy brief outlining critical issues in these areas and actions they can take, including:

• Prevent family homelessness by increasing housing assistance payments in line with market rents and increasing funding for tenant-in-situ scheme.
• Include one-parent families as a named group in government’s new Child & Family Homelessness Action Plan.

• Extend Jobseekers Transitional Payment for lone parents until their youngest child is 18.
• Invest in out-of-court supports such as parenting courses, counselling and mediation to help families reach child-centred agreements and avoid family court where possible.
• Fund specialised services nationwide that support families experiencing high levels of conflict or domestic violence, such as One Family’s Separating Well for Children service.
• Move from a “work-activation” government approach for lone parents on social protection to an evidence-based “education-first” one. This would address high levels of in-work poverty and create long-term savings for government, along with financial security for families.

Professor Katriona O’Sullivan, Author of “Poor” said:
For far too long we have let the most vulnerable carry the brunt of the unequal distribution of wealth. Now is the time for this to stop. Now is the time for us to do better. We are a rich country; our GDP is one of the highest in the EU- yet the rate of children at risk of poverty is growing year on year; and the distance between the rich and the poor is expanding. Lone parent families are the most affected by poverty. They are the ones being left behind in terms of access to education and high status employment. As someone who benefited from excellent policies which were in place in the late 90’s I know first hand how important it is to support people out of the poverty trap. I know first hand how wonderful it is to be cared for by state policies, to be given the opportunity to achieve great things. One Family’s Get It Right campaign offers a clear blueprint on how to address these issues. We know how to solve these issues- the question is are we brave enough, do we care enough. We need the political will and courage of convictions from our elected representatives to action the steps being proposed by the Get It Right campaign.”

Naomi Connolly, Lone Parent, One Family Advocacy Project said:
“For many people fleeing abuse, the lack of available properties means that even with supports like Domestic Violence HAP, there is simply nowhere to go. Survivors are faced with an impossible choice: accept placement in homeless accommodation, which can be unsafe and unsuitable for children, or return to the family home and risk further abuse. This stark reality forces victims to weigh the fear and instability of homelessness against the dangers of remaining in a violent environment, highlighting the urgent need for genuine, accessible housing solutions for those escaping domestic violence.”

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said:
“One-parent families across Ireland are being impacted by multiple, interconnected criseis. As the recent SILC data shows, enforced deprivation and consistent poverty rose for one-parent families in 2025, even with cost-of-living measures in place and these have now disappeared. 48.7% of children in one-parent families are living in deprivation and 58% of homeless families are one-parent families; this is a shocking statistic which should be prompting urgent political action. But there are solutions and we welcome the opportunity to brief TDs and policymakers on the evidence-based actions they can take to address, not only poverty, but family homelessness, family law and access to education.”

Sinéad Gibney, TD said:
“I raised my daughter as a single mum. One-parent families are a huge part of Irish society, but they’re often pushed out to the margins. Right now, we have too many lone parents and their children living in poverty, in homelessness, made vulnerable by a system that isn’t built for them. This is a chance to look at how we can create an Ireland where all families are cherished equally, where one-parent families are supported and celebrated.”

You can learn more about One Family’s Get It Right campaign by watching the campaign video.

[ENDS]

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie

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.
• One Family was hosted in the AV Briefing Room by Sinéad Gibney, TD, Social Democrats.

To mark International Single Parents Day, One Family have launched their #GetItRight campaign, calling for urgent government action on family law, child poverty, family homelessness and access to education for one-parent families across Ireland.  

If Government gets services, policies and legislation right for one-parent families, then they will be right for all families in Ireland. 

We’re calling on government to: 

Invest in out-of-court supports: Not only would this address lengthy court waiting times, but it would also provide best outcomes for children. Families need support, parenting courses, mediation and counselling to avoid adversarial, traumatic court cases. This should include funding for specialised services that support families experiencing high levels of conflict or domestic violence, such as One Family’s Separating Well for Children service, and therapeutic services for children.   

Target Child Poverty: Most poor children in Ireland live in one-parent families and lone parents experience high levels of in-work poverty. If the government wants to reduce child poverty, they can do this by targeting one-parent families. An efficient way of doing this is by increasing the amount of income excluded for lone parents who receive One Parent Family Payment or Jobseekers Transitional Payment to €222.75 per week; the equivalent of 16 working hours at National Minimum Wage.  

Stop Family Homelessness: Government cannot accept monthly increases in child and family homelessness as normal. They need to immediately fund homelessness prevention, including the tenant-in-situ scheme, and increase housing assistance payments in line with local market rents. These payments were last increased in 2022 and the gap between the payment and rent that parents are forced to bridge is fuelling poverty, deprivation and increasing family homelessness. 

Improve Access to Education: Move from a “work-activation” government approach to lone parents on social welfare to an evidence-based “education-first” one. This would address high levels of in-work poverty and create long-term savings for government, along with financial security for families.   

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said: 

“We have achieved huge, positive changes for one-parent families in Ireland since our organisation was founded 54 years ago and that is to be welcomed and acknowledged. But we’ve moved from putting lone parents in institutions to placing them in systems which harm them. This includes a family law system which doesn’t deliver a child-centred approach, a housing crisis which has created epidemic levels of family homelessness in one-parent families and a “work-activation” approach to lone parents and employment, which fuels high levels of in-work poverty.  

Throughout 2026, our #GetItRight campaign will highlight these issues and our solutions to solving them. These are fixable issues, but we need action from our government and commitment to positive change. We look forward to political engagement on these critical issues for one-parent families.” 

You can watch the campaign video on One Family’s website now.  

[ENDS] 

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie   

Notes to Editor:  

1. 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  

• Start thinking it through and planning as soon as you can.
  
• Plan with your child. Talk with your child about Christmas and explore with them that it lasts for more than one day.
  
• Tell them that both you and their other parent love them and enjoy time with them at Christmas. Ask your child how they would like Christmas to look. Talk with them about the options available.
  
• Try to hear your child in this. Most parents prefer to have their child with them on Christmas Day, and in many separated families, this is not possible. See Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day all as Christmas. You will have to agree if each year one of you has the children with them on the 25^th and the other parent has them on the 24^th or 26^th.
  
• Talk with your child’s other parent. Ask them what they hope Christmas will look like and then start to negotiate on contact. Use assertive communication skills. Try not to jump in with a no straight away to what they hope for. Think of your child’s needs and how best you can both meet them. Don’t have these discussions in front of your child.
  
• Children love Christmas – if they don’t have parents arguing over them. All the gifts in the world won’t help if your child is distressed or worried. Talk and plan in advance and avoid conflict. Give each other space to think about what the other parent wants, then talk again about your shared plans.
  
• Explain to your child what will happen and that you and the other parent will try your best to ensure they have the Christmas they hope for. Make sure your child has the information they need in advance.
  
• Children are not going to object to two Christmases. Santa can leave gifts in both homes. Santa knows, of course, that some children have two homes. Families comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
  
• Talk about buying the gifts early on. Both parents usually want to be involved in this. Can each of you buy your own gifts from your child’s list and agree to give them on the one day or over two days? Often children get too much on the 25^th – maybe they would appreciate receiving the gifts more spread out. Children need to share the excitement with both parents.
  
• If you think that communicating or creating a shared plan together wouldn’t be possible, One Family offer a range of family support which may be helpful to you.
  

Next you might like to read 10 Ways to Successful Shared Parenting.

Helpline

Our askonefamily helpline is open 10am – 3pm, Monday – Friday. We provide detailed, confidential information on social-welfare entitlements and finances, family law, housing, education, childcare and parenting.

We also offer a listening-support service for people who need help parenting alone, sharing parenting or separating. You can call the askonefamily helpline on 0818 662 212 or 01 662 9212, or email your query to 
helpline@onefamily.ie.

Lone parents are prevented from equally accessing higher education, due to systemic barriers and insufficient financial supports, thereby negatively impacting on their long-term employment.  

“Education first? Lone parents’ lived experience of the challenges and benefits of participating in Higher Education” by Dr Fiona Dukelow (UCC), Dr Margaret Scanlon (UCC), Edith Busteed (UCC) and Dr Joe Whelan (TCD) highlights: 

• Lone parents remain under-represented in higher education¹, with both institutions and policymakers lacking data on their participation  
   

• Lone parents are not provided with clear pathways to higher education, which can create a reliance on state support if prevented from attaining well-paid, secure jobs. which is a critical anti-poverty measure for one-parent families 
   

• Lone parents face multiple additional barriers to higher education including a failure to acknowledge the additional care responsibilities they hold, not being provided sufficient financial supports to cover the real cost of education, housing, transport and childcare 

The research recommended that: 
 

• Government to move from a “work activation” to an “education first” approach for lone parents, which would increase their ability to attain high-paid, secure work. 
   

• Lone parents are given adequate financial and educational supports. SUSI grants and social welfare payments should fully reflect the real cost of participation. Access to affordable, quality childcare and secure housing must be made available. Supports must meet the needs of lone parent students, and more flexible learning options made available  

• Improved data collection and accountability from the Higher Education Authority and Department of Social Protection, including data collection on lone parent participation in higher education and for the Higher Education Authority to set clear participation targets in future Access Strategies. 

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family said: 
 
“We are delighted to be a research partner for this critical report. One-parent families on low incomes experience some of the highest levels of poverty, deprivation, social exclusion and homelessness in Ireland. To exit poverty requires a clear pathway to further or higher education, and the current system prevents lone parents from doing that, due to a lack of supports and too many barriers to their education. Access to education is a critical anti-poverty measure for one-parent families and government need to recognise that. We need free childcare for lone parents in higher education, adequate financial supports to cover the full cost of their education, and improved supports tailored to meet the needs of students who are parenting alone, so that they are met with understanding and a supportive system that empowers them to achieve their goals.” 
 
Dr Fiona Dukelow, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, University College Cork said: 
 

“Lone parent students are a largely invisible group in higher education. They are also a very diverse group of students. Despite being recognised as a group whose access and participation in higher education needs to increase, behind this policy commitment lies a lack of data, a lack of targets and a lack of policy supports that would make a difference to lone parents who are considering or who are in higher education. The research reveals the huge challenges lone parents face as students, but also the huge importance of higher education to their and their children’s wellbeing, and why improving policy supports across a whole range of areas, from financial supports, to childcare, to higher education supports, is critical to improving their access, participation and student experience”.  
 
Lynn Ruane, Keynote Speaker for the research launch said:  

“I really welcome this important research which should be read by every policy maker and politician who wants to see an end to poverty in this country. The research restates what we already know; that education can play a key role in ending child and family poverty through targeted, tailored and meaningful supports as well as guaranteed funding that dismantles the structural barriers faced by those parenting alone and their children. Whole families depend on adequate state and higher education interventions which provide choices, but they need to be clearly illuminated and easily accessible.”   
 
[ENDS] 
 
For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie  
 
1. HEA (2022) ‘National Access Plan 2022-2028′ 
 
The full research report can be accessed here: https://onefamily.ie/policy/research/ 

1. The research was conducted by a team of researchers at University College Cork, Dr Fiona Dukelow, Dr Margaret Scanlon and Edith Busteed, in collaboration with Dr Joe Whelan, Trinity College Dublin and in partnership with One Family. It was funded by Research Ireland under its New Foundations programme which supports research partnerships with community and voluntary organisations to conduct research that enhances services and their impact. The research was conducted in response to the inequities of the significant higher education attainment gap between lone parents and the general population. Through a survey across higher education institutions, interviews and diary keeping with lone parent students it documented the challenges and benefits lone parents encounter in accessing and participating in higher education. The policy implications for increasing the participation of lone parents in higher education to achieve equitable outcomes for lone parents and their families are also explored. 

2. One Family Ireland was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. 

Social Welfare Supports

Core Social Welfare Payments

Maximum rate of all core weekly payments increases by €10 from January 2026 including One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate of payment.

• The Child Support Payment (formerly Increase for a Qualified Child) for dependent children aged 12 and over increases by €16, to €78, in all weekly payments from January 2026.
• The Child Support Payment for dependent children up to age 12 increases by €8, to €58, in all weekly payments from January 2026.
• €10 increase in Maternity/Paternity/Adoptive/Parent’s Benefit from January 2026.
• There were no changes made to Child Benefit.
• An increase of €5 to €32.50 per week top-up from January 2026 for those participating in the Community Employment Programme, Rural Social Scheme and Tús. This is in addition to an increase of €10 for most weekly social welfare payments.
• Return of full Christmas Bonus for those on certain social welfare payments has been confirmed. 100% Christmas Bonus will be paid in early December 2025.
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance extended to children aged 2 and 3, who are eligible for this allowance. The rate of €160 per year for children under 12 and €285 for children aged 12-22 years remains unchanged.
• No changes to the income disregard for Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) and One-Parent Family Payment which will remain at €165 per week. The disregard also continues to be unavailable to those in self-employment who receive JST.

Working Family Payment

• The Working Family Payment threshold will increase by €60 per week regardless of family size from January 2026 in line with increases to the minimum wage. This means more people may qualify for the payment. If you already receive it, you may see a small increase in your weekly payment, depending on your net household income. Please note any increases in your net take home pay or social welfare payments will be included in the means test at your next review. The new Working Family Payment income thresholds are:

One child- €765; Two children- €866; Three children- €967; Four children-€1058; Five children- €1184; Six children- €1300; Seven children- €1436 and Eight or more children- €1532

Fuel Allowance

• Fuel Allowance will increase by €5 to €38 per week from January 2026. This is paid from late September to April each year for a total of 28 weeks.
• Those getting the Working Family Payment will now automatically qualify for Fuel Allowance regardless of how much they earn or their household composition. This will be paid in March 2026 and backdated to January 2026.
• People moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work from September 2026 will keep their Fuel Allowance for 5 years.

Supports for Carers & People with Disabilities

• €10 increase in the maximum weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit & Disability Allowance with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate from January 2026.
• Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20 to €380 per month with effect from January 2026.
• Carer’s Allowance income disregard will increase by €375 to €1000 for a single person and by €750 to €2000 for a couple from July 2026. This is the amount of weekly assessable household income that is excluded from the means test.
• The income limit for Carer’s Benefit will increase by €375 to €1,000 per week from July 2026.
• People with children getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension will be eligible for the Back to Work Family Dividend when taking up employment and coming off their primary social welfare payment.

Childcare

• 2,300 new Early Years places will be created through the Building Blocks Scheme, an expansion grant for existing childcare providers.
• No increases in childcare subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme.

Education – Primary and Third Level

• The Student Contribution fee is permanently reduced by €500 from €3,000 to €2,500 for higher education students eligible for the free fees initiative. The fee reduction will apply to the 2025/26 academic year. This replaces last year’s temporary cost-of-living reduction of €1,000 which effectively means that students will have to pay €500 more than they did last year.
• Household income threshold for SUSI grants increasing to €120,000 per year for the 2026/27 academic year.
• Funding announced for 1,717 new Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts and 1,042 new teaching posts.

Taxation

• National minimum wage up 65 cents to €14.15 per hour, effective from January 2026.
• No increases to any tax credits in 2026.
• No increases to the Single Person Child Carer Credit.
• No increases to the income tax standard rate cut-off point.
• The ceiling of the 2% USC band will increase by €1,318 to €28,700. The change was made to ensure the salary of a full-time worker on the minimum wage will remain outside the higher rates of USC.
• The USC exemption for medical card holders stays in place.
• Petrol and diesel auto fuel prices will increase by approximately 2.5 cent per litre, effective immediately, due to an increased carbon tax. New carbon tax rate to be applied to other fuels such as coal, gas, home heating oil and briquettes, from 1 May 2026.
• Reduced 9% rate of VAT on gas and electricity bills to be extended to 31st December 2030.

Housing

• Rent Tax Credit of €1,000 per year for an individual is being extended to 2026, 2027 and 2028. All conditions pertaining to the credit and the value of the credit remain the same. This only applies to private renters who are not living in social housing or currently receiving any other housing supports such as Housing Assistance Payment or Rent Supplement. The credit applies to each tenant rather than each tenancy.
• The current level of Mortgage Interest Tax Relief is being maintained for 2025 and extended to 2026 for primary private residences. For 2025, the relief will be calculated on the increase in interest paid in 2025 over interest paid in 2022. For 2026, the relief will be calculated at 50% of the increase in interest paid in 2026 over interest paid in 2022. Relief for both years will apply at the standard rate of income tax (20%) and all conditions pertaining to the relief and the value of the credit remain the same. The maximum amount you can be refunded per year from the Mortgage Interest Tax Credit is €1,250 per residence.
• No increases to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits.

Pension Auto-Enrolment

• While not announced as part of the Budget, starting 1 January 2026, contributions from employees, employers and the State will be collected through payroll for those in work as part of the planned Pension Auto-Enrolment. People who do not have a pension scheme, earn more than €20,000 per year and are aged between 23 and 60 will be automatically enrolled into the new system. In 2026, the employee contribution will be 1.5% of gross salary, employer contribution 1.5% and the State tops it up by 0.5%.

Last Updated 8th October 2025

One Family welcomes the announcement of some evidence-based, targeted measures in Budget 2026, but highlights missed opportunities from government to deliver all actions needed to tackle child poverty and family homelessness.  

Strategic increases to the Child Support Payment and expansion of Fuel Allowance to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment are very welcome measures. One Family, and parents we work with, called for these in our Pre-Budget Submission to government and they are evidence-based, targeted measures which will help families who are struggling. It is also welcome that Back to School Allowance has been extended to children aged 2-3.  
 
However, government missed key opportunities to deliver more of the targeted measures needed to tackle child poverty and family homelessness: 
 

• Social protection increase of €10 is not enough to keep payments in line with inflation and means social protection payments are failing to protect all those who need them from poverty. 
   
• No immediate changes to childcare subsidies or improved accessibility for one-parent families  
   
• No increase in the amount of the Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance and unclear if there are changes to income disregards for One Parent Family Payment and Jobseekers’ Transitional Payment, which is   out of step with inflationary and minimum wage increases 
   
• Lack of specific detail on changes to Housing Assistance Payment and Tenant-In-Situ scheme to prevent further family homelessness  
   
• Shocking lack of focus on preventing family homelessness in budget speeches, despite record levels of children and lone parents living in emergency and homeless accommodation 
  
    

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family: 
 
“There are some positive measures in Budget 2026 for families, but government missed several opportunities to deliver more of the targeted measures needed to tackle child poverty and family homelessness. Increasing the Child Support Payment and expanding the Fuel Allowance for low-income working parents are critical, necessary steps towards the Government’s child poverty target and we welcome that government listened to One Family and the parents who came forward to speak on this issue.  

“However, the failure to increase other targeted payments, such as the Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance or the income disregards to One Parent Family Payment and Jobseekers’ Transitional Payment is extremely disappointing. Doing so would’ve helped the one-parent families most impacted by cost-of-living crisis, in a targeted way, and the while the Child Support Payment and Fuel Allowance expansion are extremely welcome, further targeting was needed to tackle the poverty and deprivation that many one-parent families are experiencing.”  
 
Carly Bailey, Policy Manager of One Family: 
 
“The lack of immediate action on childcare is really disappointing and will have a significant impact on one-parent families. It’s unclear how government intends to increase spaces when services are pulling out of core funding, waiting lists are rampant across the country and fees remain unaffordable for many parents.  
 
This budget also fails to deliver meaningful, immediate measures to address record rates of family homelessness, which is a one-parent family crisis; nearly 60% of families in emergency accommodation are one-parent families. The Tenant-In-Situ scheme is a critical anti-homelessness measure that, had it been expanded/sufficiently funded, would prevent more families from entering homelessness. Failure to increase Housing Assistance Payments in line with market rents will also further drive homelessness, particularly one-parent families who are disproportionately reliant on HAP due to the unaffordability of rent. The crisis of family homelessness is not new at this point, yet we’re still waiting on budget to be allocated to develop a Family Homelessness Strategy to tackle the crisis. One Family are deeply concerned that the inaction of Budget 2026 will further drive the month-on-month increases of family homelessness.” 

ENDS
 

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie  
 

Notes to Editor: 
 

1. One Family Ireland was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. 
    

2. One Family’s full Budget Submission can be accessed here: https://onefamily.ie/wp-content/uploads/Budget-Submission-2026.pdf  
    

.  

“In the last year, my childcare has increased by nearly 200%” – Charlotte*, lone parent of one child 
 
Charlotte drives 100km every day to access childcare for her child as she can’t find anywhere nearer to her. Without this childcare, she cannot work and is the sole provider for her child. On the days her or her child are too tired to get up two hours early to make the commute, her subsidy on the National Childcare Scheme is reduced, increasing the cost of her childcare. In the last two years, her childcare fees have increased by nearly 200%. 
 
 
“I would be better off financially if I was on social protection payments as then I would be entitled to go on the housing list” – Deirdre*, lone parent of three children 
 
Deirdre spent three years on the housing list and was finally told she and her children were going to get a home. However, as part of her income assessment, her child maintenance was included as income despite it not being paid consistently and as a result, her income was slightly about the threshold for social housing allocation. The Department of Social Protection excludes child maintenance from income assessment, but the Department of Housing doesn’t   
This inconsistent State approach is leaving parents like Deirdre trapped in housing insecurity and is having a devastating impact on their lives. 
 
*Parents used a pseudonym to protect their identity  
 
 
One Family called on policymakers and attendees to use the power they have to make positive systemic changes in Budget 2026 to address poverty and deprivation in one-parent families, including:  
 
Housing 

• Develop a Family Homeless Strategy in the next national housing plan and allocate the funding required to tackle record rates of family homelessness, particularly for one-parent families. 
   

• Allocate adequate budget allocated for the Tenant in Situ (TiS) scheme to meet demand, until social housing delivery is ramped up. 

• Increase Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) rent limits and discretionary rates in line with local market rents. 
   

Childcare  

• Provide free childcare via the National Childcare Scheme to lone parents returning to education or employment. 
    

• Transition to a public system of early years childhood education and care, including pre- and post-school care. 

Address income inequality 
 

• Increase Child Support Payment by €10 for children aged under 12 and €20 for children aged over 12. 
   

• Increase income disregards for One Parent Family Payment and Jobseekers’ Transitional Payment to 16.5 hours of National Minimum Wage. 
   

• Increase Back To School Clothing & Footwear Allowance by  €100 for children aged 4-11 and by €156 for children aged 12-22 who are in full-time second level education and repeat payments at 6-month intervals to accommodate needs of growing children. 

Carly Bailey, Policy Manager at One Family said:  

“Most of Ireland’s poorest children can be found in one-parent families. There are solutions to the unacceptably high rates of child poverty and deprivation, but we need the political will to action necessary change. The parents in our Advocacy Project powerfully highlight the multiple, overlapping barriers which create poverty and deprivation. These barriers are not unbreakable; they were designed by our systems and can be dismantled by the people in the room at this Summit. It’s critical that government learns from the experiences they’ve shared today and takes the urgent action in Budget 2026 to meaningfully address child poverty and well-being.” 
 
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: 
 

“Rising levels of child poverty during a period when our national finances remain in good order are unacceptable. One Family is again highlighting the harsh everyday choices between meals, clothing or household bills which are being made in thousands of homes every –day. It is time for these voices to be heard. The case for action is compelling, as a philanthropic hub the Community Foundation listens to the insights of partners like One Family, as we do to our research partners in this space, like the Economic and Social Research Institute. We cannot let child poverty be our legacy.” 

[ENDS] 
 
For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager on 083 447 0645 / vmasterson@onefamily.ie  
 

Notes to Editor: 

1. One Family’s Advocacy Project aims to embed the experience and voice of one-parent families in the areas where policy and legislation changes occur. The project gives lone parents an opportunity to share their experience and perspective on the social and economic challenges facing one-parent families and advocate for the changes needed to improve their lives.  Panel members are given the opportunity to work with One Family to develop our policy and advocacy work and also with decision makers in the Dáil, our local councils, government departments and in Europe, as opportunities arise. This 2-year project is funded by UBIDAC via The Community Foundation of Ireland. 

2. One Family Ireland was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the askonefamily national helpline on 0818 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie. 

3. The Child Poverty and Wellbeing Summit bring together leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and change-makers from across sectors to explore how we can drive systemic change that delivers results for children. The Summit, which is also being live-streamed, will spotlight collaborative approaches, examine what’s working, and surface the bold ideas needed to address the structural barriers that keep children and families in poverty. The Summit will be livestreamed here. 

One Family, Ireland’s national organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting, and separating is looking for lone parents across Ireland who want to take the first step to change their life. The next term of New Futures is starting in September 2025 and One Family are looking for lone parents to enrol in the online course. 
 
Developed in response to the unique challenges faced by lone parents, the New Futures Employability Programme offers a tailored, person-centred approach to help parents gain essential skills to return to education or work. Running since 2006, the programme has proven to be very successful, with 75% of participants transitioning from social welfare payments to paid employment or further education.  
 
The programme provides essential supports including: 

• Personal development: Communication skills, stress management, goal-setting and developing self-confidence 
   

• Support: Connect with other lone parents in online workshops and benefit from individualised 1-to-1 support sessions  
   

• Employment skills: Creating and updating CV’s, mock interviews and exploring pathways to further education or employment  
   

Participants benefit from expert personal development and career coaching, peer support, and access to One Family’s wraparound services, including parenting support and counselling. 

Valerie Maher, Programmes Manager, One Family said: 

“We believe that every parent deserves the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their children. New Futures is a programme with a proven track-record of success, empowering lone parents with the confidence, skills, and support to take the first step to a new future for themselves.” 

Nadine, New Futures Participant 2024: 
 
“I’m so glad that I decided to do the New Futures course. They support you every step of the way and helped me through every wobble (there were a few). The thoughts of doing a course through zoom filled me with dread but honestly it was so good. It was lovely to be able to meet and chat with other lone parents who are going through similar struggles as me. My support worker was amazing every week. Giving support, genuine encouragement and positivity all the time. I honestly can’t recommend the course enough. It’s really helped me take those daunting first steps to returning to work/education.” 

Kathleen, New Futures Participant 2024 

“When I signed up for the New Futures Employability Programme, I did not expect the life line of support I received. This course is excellent; I would highly recommend it to mothers who are parenting alone and would like to get back to explore what opportunities are out there for them.  It has helped me to clarity what aspects of my journey I needed to become clear on so I could set some goals for myself going forward. This course has helped me not just to survive but to thrive.”  
 
ENDS 
 
For media requests, contact Vicky Masterson, One Family Communications Manager, on 083 447 0645 or email vmasterson@onefamily.ie  
 
Notes to Editor 
Applications for the New Futures programme are now open and interested lone parents are encouraged to contact Employability Manager, Niamh Wynne by emailing programmes@onefamily.ie or calling 01 662 9212 
 
For more information, visit https://onefamily.ie/education-development/employability-progammes_24/new-futures/