I again want to raise with the Taoiseach the legislation on lone parents and the treatment of child maintenance for social welfare payments. This is not complex legislation but it is now a year since the child maintenance review group reported. It is very short legislation. Given lone parents and lone-parent families are consistently at the top of the table when it comes to the highest rates of deprivation, the highest risk of poverty and the highest consistent poverty rates, this should have been prioritised. We have a week left in the session but the timelines have come and gone. When will this legislation be introduced and passed for lone-parent families?

I understand it is out for circulation among Departments at the moment. I had hoped, and still hope, that it could be done as part of the Social Welfare Bill before Christmas. If not, there will be a second Bill in the new year.