John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy O'Dea highlighted the issue of somebody who is deemed to be in receipt of payment but is not getting it, yet it is taken into the calculation. I have seen cases like that where a person's maintenance payment is calculated and he or she gets a reduced payment as such, even though the payment is not coming through. The amendment is quite narrow in that it talks about financial contributions and financial issues. The issue relating to maintenance is larger and we probably need a much bigger review of how maintenance works. In my experience, quite a number of people who are told to seek maintenance for one reason or another are not in a position to do so. They either cannot make contact with a former partner, or they are afraid to, or whatever. The idea of establishing some sort of management agency to deal with these claims for maintenance seems to make sense. This motion is not calling for that specifically.

Another anomaly that arises is as follows. I recently had a gentleman in with me who is paying a prescribed payment from the court, following a court settlement, which reduces his salary considerably but his reduced salary does not come into the calculation for his eligibility to apply for social housing for himself. We need to have a joined-up view. I have often said that it spans more than the Minister's Department but if maintenance payments are to be meaningful and fair, across the Departments of Justice and Equality, Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the Minister's Department, she needs to talk to her colleagues about it. It is not envisaged in this amendment but it needs to be done. People have an obligation to make maintenance payments and should make them but they need to be recognised across Departments. I urge the Minister to accept this amendment as is.

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