Enda Kenny defends cuts to the One Parent Family Payment

According to the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, the extremely controversial cut to the social welfare payment for single parents may act as an incentive to work.

The cut to the social welfare payment has been slammed by parents following the announcement that the One Parent Family Payment will be changed over the course of the next month.

The cut, which has been in the pipeline for several years, means that the eligibility criteria for the payment has undergone an overhaul and parents of children over the age of seven no longer qualify.

Commenting on the decision this afternoon, Enda Kenny said: "We cannot allow a situation in an economy that is recovering like ours to bypass thousands of families that are locked into jobless households. That has been one of the real difficulties for so many families."

Elaborating on the point, Mr. Kenny went on to say: "Those jobless households with children are at a particular risk of perpetuating a cycle of poverty that goes on from generation to generation."

As of July, more than 30,000 single parents are due to lose their entitlement once their child reaches the age of seven.

A protest was recently held outside Leinster House which saw  group, Single Parents Acting for the Rights of Kids, also known as Spark, call for a reversal in the payment cuts.