John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is the scope of the review the Minister has initiated within her Department? What are the terms of reference? Will the Minister be looking at maintenance payments and the difficulties that lone parents encounter, for example, having to go through the District Court? I have spoken to many lone parents who have had to go to the courts up to 14 times and still have not received any maintenance payments. With the establishment of a child maintenance service, the non-custodial parent would be forced to pay the child maintenance directly to the lone parent and there would be no need to go through the courts system, freeing up substantial court time. If it was to be viewed from a financial perspective solely, it would save a considerable amount, for example, for the Department of Justice and Equality, in court time but, more importantly, in not having to put lone parents through that horrendous ordeal of having to go through the courts.

Many lone parents to whom I have spoken feel intimidated. They feel threatened. They feel the courts are not a place where they can go. Removing it from that setting would be beneficial. It would ensure that the non-custodial parent would pay what he is supposed to pay.

Putting a child maintenance service on a statutory footing is not abnormal in other countries.

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