Ambitious lone-parent students will be forced to drop out of college

Your article (‘One parent families facing benefits reduction’ 6 February) restates the government’s claims that their cutbacks coming in later this year will help mothers and fathers get back to work.

Tell that to lone parents with children of 7 and upwards who are currently in full time education in order to obtain the qualifications to get back to work.

At the present time, such parents have their lone parent payment plus the student grant (presuming they qualify on the standard means test).

From July they have to opt for the lone parent payment or the student grant meaning that unless they can make up the loss of income elsewhere they must drop out of college which hardly helps to get them employment!

One such single parent I know is in the second year of a four year degree course in midwifery.

She commutes from Portlaoise to Trinity and the Rotunda and will have to drop out at the end of this academic year as without her grant she cannot pay for train fares to Dublin, accommodation at the Rotunda and other costs directly related to her course.

Ireland is desperately short of midwives. Does it make sense to force this young woman out of a course she loves when the country needs her skills?

Once she qualifies she will be off benefits entirely which is what the government tells us it wants.

Surely having made the decision to take on the course, she had a legitimate expectation that the supports she had at the start would not change significantly?

The Student Support Act 2011 is responsible for the change of policy for students in her position. It needs urgent amendment.

Enid O’Dowd

Moyne Road

Ranelagh

Dublin 6