The deterrents and obstacles which can discourage marriage and cohabitation will be analysed with the country’s two leading one parent family support groups at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs, today, (20th) at 11 am in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.

There are 190,000 one-parent families in Ireland today (18% of all families), one in five children live in one parent families while research indicates that you are 4.5 times more likely to live in poverty if you live in a one-parent family.

The meeting will consider aspects of the tax and social welfare system which could militate against marriage and co-habitation and examine what reforms could be introduced to address this matter. The meeting will also debate the issues facing one-parent families and to hear from those organisations that represent them regarding financial disincentives to marriage and cohabitation.

ENDS