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Single parents unite to fight budget cuts printable version

03 Feb 2012: posted by the editor - Ireland

This week Minister Joan Burton will send to thousands of one parent families a letter to review existing one-parent claimants. As 65% of the poorest children in Ireland live in one parent households, this letter will terrify many single parents. The budget cuts for 2012 discriminated against single parents with mulitiple cuts. Single parents across Ireland on social media have been organising, and have set up a campaign SPARK to oppose these cuts. A protest is called by SPARK for 18 February at 2pm, meeting at the Garden Of Remembrance. Minister Burton attacked single parents, as they were seen as an easy target. She underestimated angry parents, and they will continue to protest and campaign to highlight her discrimination, and demand a reversal of the cuts that will inflict poverty for thousands of lone parents.

S.P.A.R.K. is a diverse group of single parents living in Ireland who have united together to protect our children from the radical policy changes introduced in Budget 2012. We are here to raise awareness of the many challenges one-parent families currently face and to identify the essential supports needed to allow us equal participation in society. We assert the rights of our children to be treated equally and demand acknowledgement and recognition of our family status. We actively challenge stereotyping of our familes. We oppose any economic, social, legal or political policies that have a detrimental effect on our children or on us as single parents. We seek equality for children regardless of their family circumstances.

Single Mother Leah Speight said: ''I am inspired by the many single parents in SPARK who in a short time have been organising and meeting with many politicians to put as much pressure on this government to reverse the cuts. The unity and determination to get this campaign going is down to the fact that parents will not stand for further poverty inflicted on their children.''

Tags: single parents, SPARK, Budget 2012

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