THE GOVERNMENT has been criticised for spending considerable amounts on single-parent welfare benefits with little evidence that they influence the wellbeing of children.
In a report comparing child welfare in 30 developed countries, the Paris-based International Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) said Ireland, along with a handful of other countries, was spending significant sums on lone parent benefits that last until children are well into their teens.
“There is little or no evidence that these benefits positively influence child wellbeing, while they discourage single-parent employment,” the study notes, referring to Ireland, as well as the UK and New Zealand.
It recommends that payments be phased out when children reach compulsory schooling age and that parents be directed towards work or education. Any savings should be redirected to improve family income or improve pre-compulsory education.
The report says countries such as Norway have managed to increase employment and earnings among single parents and reduce child poverty through such reforms.
The Government has been examining similar proposals for several years, but there has been little sign to date that it is ready to embark on such a move. A key stumbling block has been a lack of access to affordable childcare for single parents entering the workforce or education. Overall, the report, entitled Doing Better for Children, says Ireland fares moderately in terms of child wellbeing. But it ranks below average on factors such as family income and health.
These rankings mask some alarming but long-standing findings. For example, Ireland has the third highest suicide rate among young people aged 15 to 19, as well as above average rates of smoking and drinking. Ireland also has a relatively high level of child poverty and educational deprivation (seventh-highest).
On a more positive note, in educational achievement for 15-year-olds – based on reading, science and maths – Ireland ranks towards the upper end of the table (10th highest).
Compared with Scandinavian countries such as Finland and Norway, the OECD said Ireland, the Netherlands and the United States spent relatively little public money on children.
The report says governments should focus more on investing in the first six years of children’s lives to reduce social inequality and help all children, especially the most vulnerable, have happier lives. It suggests that money is much more effective if spent on younger children during their Dora the Explorer years of early childhood, rather than the teenage Facebook years.
Ireland, along with most OECD countries, spends more public money on children in the later stages of childhood through investment in compulsory primary and secondary-level education.
This, the report says, goes against theory and evidence on child wellbeing and development.
OECD secretary-general Angel Gurría warned that while the economic downturn was putting pressure on public budgets across the world, any short-term savings on children’s education and health would have long-term costs for society.
“Governments should instead seize this opportunity to get better value from their investment in children. And spending early, when the foundations for a child’s future are laid, is key, especially for disadvantaged children, and can help them break out of a family cycle of poverty and social exclusion,” the secretary general said.