Ms Louise Bayliss:

It is not consistent. Ms Smith and I as part of the National One Parent Family Alliance have written to local authorities. We have received a mixed response. I think Waterford said the reason it was calculating that way was because of guidelines issued in 2018 or so. We told the Minister, Deputy Browne, it was his regulation and asked if he could reverse it so people can get the benefit. In circumstances where maintenance is not being paid but the court order is being used to calculate, HAP rents are being charged and they are not even getting the maintenance, so we asked for that to be looked at but we are still waiting.

We are concerned about children in emergency accommodation but children in direct provision are not even getting child benefit. That was promised for two years in a row in budgets 2025 and 2024. There was no mention of it in budget 2026. We have to remember those children in direct provision who have absolutely no money to survive on. They are not getting enough. The will was there, it is just not being implemented. I could not have a conversation on child poverty without raising the issue of those children.