We are very short on time so I ask Deputy Kenny to forgo his 30 seconds to introduce his question.
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Ceisteanna (42, 49)
Freagraí ó Béal (4 píosaí cainte)
Joan Collins
Ceist:42. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether there is a problem regarding the issue of maintenance recovery in relation to lone parents, particularly lone parents who have proven abuse issues with a parent of their child; and if she has instructed her Department to examine resolving this issue in order that the child involved benefits from child maintenance. [50321/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Gino Kenny
Ceist:49. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that women who are victims of domestic abuse and in receipt of social welfare payments are being informed by her Department that they are in danger of losing their single parent payments unless they try to obtain maintenance from their abusers and that women in these situations are being put at risk by having to contact their abusive partners for financial support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50469/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 49 together.
We had a conversation about this under an earlier question. The Family Law Acts are the civil legislation that requires a man or woman who wants to claim maintenance from their spouse to go to family mediation or seek redress through the courts. There is a condition in the one-parent family payment in my Department that a parent must make all reasonable efforts to get maintenance from the other parent for the upbringing of their children, which is as it should be. However, in the past week a very brave young woman went public with her story of how she fell between the cracks of what should have been a robust process but was a process which actually failed her.
I met that lovely lady and her gorgeous little man on Friday and we spoke at length of her experience. I heard of the language that was used towards her and the letters she received and I gave her my commitment that I would resolve the issue. Since then, I have met with Women's Aid which is kindly going to take the letters away and redraft them so that, if they were accidentally received by someone in a vulnerable position, they would not make that person as fearful and full of dread as Kate - which is not her real name - was during the week. They will return the new draft to me in the next couple of weeks.
We also agreed that Women's Aid would draw up an accredited training programme for me and give it, in conjunction with our staff development unit, to anyone who is involved in front-line services in the Department so that they are equipped to deal with specific instances of domestic or sexual abuse when people present for that purpose.
If a woman or a man arrives in a local office and tells us of an experience of domestic violence, we will believe them - end of story. There will be no requirement for court orders or protection orders or other legal structures in such cases. We will believe the person presenting and we will make changes to our internal IT systems so that their electronic record shows no letters for maintenance recovery will ever again be sent to them.
I am quite happy with the Minister's comprehensive response. I hope this situation will never happen again to any individual presenting in this way. I am glad the person did it and I take the Minister on her word in this case.
I wish to put on the record of the House my gratitude to the lady in question, who was here earlier on. If she was not brave enough to go to a young journalist, Ellen Coyne, this week, I do not think I would have been aware of this case. We had heard anecdotal evidence but "he said-she said" scenarios are very difficult to work on. This lady was exceptionally brave. She is a fabulous young woman with a most beautiful son. I thank her and wish her every success in her future.
Questions Nos. 44 and 45 answered with Question No. 40.
Question No. 46 replied to with Written Answers.
Question No. 47 replied to with Written Answers.
Question No. 48 answered with Question No. 40.
Question No. 49 answered with Question No. 42.