Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If that has changed the change must have been very recent because as far as I can see it is still the position. If somebody is in that situation they will not want to take the risk of getting an order for maintenance which they feel sure is not going to be paid and having it assessed against any lone parent allowance they will get.

The lone parent allowance will not make anybody rich and in its current form it will not do much to combat the levels of poverty among single parents but if they were able to get maintenance in addition it would certainly combat poverty in an area where it is particularly prevalent.

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