Irish "Brides Of The State"
RN, believe me, I do understand how complex dating is for single mothers - from the complexities my Mom faced with dating, when I was a kid. Mom's life and mine would probably have been a lot easier and more comfortable if she'd found someone ... I say "probably" because I'm aware that the issues you cited could have made my life and hers quite UNcomfortable, in time.
The article I cited, "Brides Of The State," was first published by the "Inside Cork" newspaper, in 2004. It basically showed how the Irish government, out of compassion, was making it much less attractive for a single mother to look for "a new Daddy for the kids", first by giving her enough support to make sure that her little ones would lack for naught - then by tying that support to her "virtue," as one might say: "If the mother should meet a man who might have the potential to foot the bill for her, this is where the state gets really nasty. It says that if she is even seen with a man about the house she will lose all her benefits!"
To match "the dole," in the article's example, a young Irish man would have to be pulling in something on the order of €1250 a week, before taxes of about 35% for that income bracket. Roughly twice the average, as the article stated. Or, as Tony Soprano might say, "Fuggetaboutit."
So that young Irish man is shut out of family life ... and the single mother's children see "single mommy/no daddy" as normal....
(The article resides on the website of the National Men's Council of Ireland. In deference to the rules of this board, I include no URL.)