`People have an image in their heads of what a single mother should look like," says Vivienne, a lone parent from south Co Dublin, who has one son.

She says the image often fails to square with reality. "When you tell some people you are a single mother, they expect you to have a few kids, a different boyfriend every night and be out late drinking all the time." Vivienne works five days a week and when her son comes out of school he goes to a creche. The financial strain of paying for this child-care is the biggest problem in being a lone parent, she says.

"A lot of creches are currently closing down, which is going to make things even more difficult," she says. Another problem is that creches do not open on Saturdays or after six or seven o'clock in the evening, even though women are often working during those periods, she adds.

She is glad she works and says not only does it help to keep her sanity, but her son benefits from not being stuck at home with just one person for company all day. She also says it is absolutely necessary to get out socially at least once a week.

"Another perception is that people think we want handouts, but everyone has their pride and nobody goes looking for money from the State without biting their tongue," she says.