[garinda]

It's a hard one.

My Mum was brought up by my Grandmother, a single Mum, on a then pittance of a War Widow's pension. She worked in the mill, and my Mum and her sister were farmed out to relatives. They had no choice but to be latch key kids, as a lot of children today, with two parents at home, are as well.

I didn't know until I read this that Income Support could be claimed by a single parent until that child is sixteen. That could, though I'm not saying it is, be open to abuse, by young parents who have made a career choice to live off the State, albeit not a very well paid career.

I certainly sympathise, as I can have no real understanding of the problems that lone parents, especially with absentee partners, face.

With about a fifth of the school year being holidays, I can totally see the need for safe, secure, and affordable places where children can go in the school holidays.

Like I said, all the problems I can't fully understand, and if reforms mean more hardship for people trying to bring up their families you'd have my support.