asked the Minister for Justice (a) when it is proposed to introduce legislation to improve the existing arrangements for the maintenance of deserted wives, and what form this contemplated legislation will take; and (b) if he will consider paying the maintenance sums to deserted wives out of a fund administered by the State to which the husband would be required to refund such payments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maintenance of Deserted Wives.
54.
As regards (a) of the Deputy's question, I propose, in a Bill to increase the jurisdiction of the various courts, to provide for an increase in the maximum amount of maintenance which the district court may award to deserted wives and for the payment of maintenance allowances in respect of children in desertion cases. I cannot indicate at this stage when the legislation will be introduced.
As regards (b) of the question, I do not consider it a proper function of a Minister for Justice to administer a State fund as suggested by the Deputy for the maintenance of deserted wives.
Can the Minister say whose function it would be to administer such a fund?
As far as I know, no such fund is administered anywhere. This is on the civil side of the court, where wives can bring actions under the statute law that is there already. As I informed the house, a new statute law will be coming in. This law would be useless unless we had reciprocal legislation with the other side—and we are promised such legislation. There is no fund that I know of in any country that is administered for a civil matter of this kind.
Would the Minister not consider making history and set up such a fund?
I think that, if we had the law brought up to date in the matter, it would meet the problems that we have.
The Minister is meeting it in his own unique fashion.
I would not meet it otherwise.