With regard to non-compliance with orders for maintenance, the penalty established in the Bill really fits the crime. I have been asked for advice on this matter in many houses. It is mostly women who go through hearing after hearing in the courts to obtain a final decision on the paying of maintenance, only to find that the maintenance obligations set out are not met. They must then return to the courts and they end up with large legal bills. In some cases, they just give up. We all have experience of these cases. It is essential that there be a penalty to modify behaviour. One cannot ask that the father of the child be declared and at the same time not impose an adequate sanction if maintenance is not paid. The Bill represents a positive step in this regard.

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