Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I hope the report, because it is long-awaited, will be published as soon as possible after the Minister receives it. As she knows, there are considerable difficulties. I have never believed the court was the right place for child maintenance to be agreed. We know that where a court order is made for maintenance, it does not necessarily mean payments are made. It falls on the lone parent again to go back to court. The court is not the right setting for sorting out child maintenance. It does not work. Once the maintenance is agreed, it is not necessarily paid. It is automatically regarded as means when it comes to other social protection payments. That is an issue.

We brought forward proposals in 2017 and 2019 reflective of the model in place in the north of Ireland. It takes the matter out of the lone parent's hands and sorts out the maintenance for him or her for the benefit of the child. That is what we need to examine. We need the review group to recommend a statutory child maintenance service. I hope that is something the Minister will seek to progress.

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