Minister For Social Protection Joan Burton has been urged to defer the proposed merger of social welfare schemes into a single payment.
Welcoming the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, anti-poverty groups said the Minister should wait until the necessary supports and services were in place.
Chaired by Fine Gael deputy Damien English, the committee is made up of TDs and Senators from the main Oireachtas parties as well as Independents.
The report’s author, Sinn Féin deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said a single payment had many benefits “in theory” and could be considered “the greatest single change to the Irish social welfare system”.
He added: “Therefore, the committee feels that it should be deferred until sufficient job opportunities exist and adequate supports are in place, especially for single parents and people with disabilities.”
Thirteen campaigning organisations said in a statement that a simplified system was “desirable in principle” but, without the proper support framework, it was likely to mean “serious loss of income for people already most vulnerable to poverty”.