John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister may be aware, in 2017 the UN made a recommendation that endorses my proposal for a child maintenance service. I accept that is not necessarily the responsibility of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection but that of the Department of Justice and Equality. I have sat down with officials from the Department and they have said it is not on their radar. It needs to be on their radar and it needs to come from the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection with responsibility for lone parents to put the pressure on. I welcome the meeting later in the month. That needs to be a core element of the discussion on child maintenance.

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has responsibility. Why does she still include child maintenance when assessing means for social welfare payments? The Minister will be aware that child maintenance is seen as a means of helping lift children out of poverty. She has responsibility for that. Does she see it as a payment for the household or as a payment for the child?

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