Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 May 2018
238. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has set up a working group to examine child maintenance; if such work is ongoing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21750/18]
View answerAs I advised the Deputy in response to recent questions on this issue, the establishment of a service to assist lone parents to seek child maintenance payments would be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, as the Family Law Acts, which place a legal obligation on parents to maintain their children, are under the remit of that Department.
In cases where the family unit has broken down, obligations regarding child maintenance continue to apply, and relevant maintenance payments can be arranged either directly between the parents themselves or through supports like the Family Mediation Service, the Legal Aid Board and the Courts.
To date I have had a number of meetings within my own Department in this regard. My Department is now reviewing the current maintenance and liable relative procedures only in so far as they relate to the one-parent family payment scheme administered by my department, and work has commenced on this review. This will necessitate my Department liaising with the Department of Justice and Equality as the Department responsible for the Family Law Acts. I hope to convene a meeting in the weeks ahead, following the completion of this work.
