Ms Karen Kiernan:

It concerns child maintenance. As many people will be aware, an independent child maintenance review group has been sitting for the last 18 months or so. It is due to report to the Minister in early 2022. This is a critical plank for reducing and eliminating child poverty in one-parent families. It is important that the recommendations are focused on reducing child poverty, as well as reducing conflict in families. We look forward to seeing what may be recommended. Hopefully, communities such as this one may get to review and respond to that report. It is of great importance, however, because the way child maintenance is treated by the State means that many families are less well off when they are receiving, or supposed to be receiving, child maintenance payments. That is untenable for families at this stage.