Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My understanding is that when a child reaches seven years, the jobseeker's transition payment kicks into effect. Then you no longer have that liability to the State. Therefore the parent who is not living with the child and whose income has been taken as means, in that they should be supporting the child, that the liability ceases to the State at that point. Until the child reaches the age of seven years, the one-parent family payment is made to the parent who is looking after the children. The other parent, therefore, should pay the State out of his or her income towards the support of the child. Such parents can do it in two ways, either by paying it directly to the State or to the parent who is looking after the child, whose one-parent family payment is reduced accordingly in order that he or she still receives the same amount.

It is complicated and I accept that. We are carrying out a full review of all the issues around child family maintenance and we are waiting on that report.

See this speech in context