Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is all very nice when it is couched in language such as the Minister has just spoken. There is great room for anomalies, opacity, disengagement and avoidance. The Minister mentioned several times that an administrator may decide under section 13 of the Bill. As a parent of a large family, who has gone past childcare thankfully at this stage, and from the experience I have dealing with other schemes and as a chairperson of a community crèche, a naíonra, this is very unwieldy. It is not going to bring any clarity to the matter of trying to decide if a child is counted if he does not live with the parent or if the parent who is claiming does not give support to the child. Who is going to be the arbiter? The Minister mentioned the administrator of the scheme. Who is going to bring the clarity that is needed? Could this end up in legal challenges? We already have many cases of child custody and child issues that are dealt with in the Family Court. None of us interferes or wants to interfere or to be involved or to go there. The Minister is saying that in section 13(5) of the Bill, the level of subsidy depends on a certain number of children and on who is claiming and who is supporting that child. I think it is quite confusing. Who is going to be the final arbiter? If it ends up that these issues lead to further tensions and trauma, unfortunately maybe, it is the child we want to support and the children might end up the losers in the long term. I have issues about that.

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