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

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Under family law, parents and certain categories of guardians or those acting in the place of parents are obliged to maintain their children. In cases where the family unit has broken down, these obligations continue to apply. Child maintenance arrangements can be agreed directly between the parties themselves, with the assistance of their solicitors, private mediators or supports such as the family mediation service and the Legal Aid Board or, ultimately, through the courts.

In line with the programme for Government commitment, the Government established a child maintenance review group to examine certain issues in regard to child maintenance in Ireland. The group was chaired by a former Circuit Court judge, Judge Catherine Murphy, and included legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice. The group's terms of reference were to consider and make recommendations on the current treatment of child maintenance payments in my Department, the current provisions regarding liable relatives managed by my Department and the establishment of a child maintenance agency in Ireland. As part of its work, the group conducted an extensive public consultation process and examined the international position.

I am pleased to advise that the group has completed its work and its report was submitted to me on 22 April. I thank the chair and the group members for their detailed consideration of these important issues. I am currently giving the report the careful consideration that such an important and complex issue deserves. Given that the report relates to a broad range of issues that are beyond the scope of the social welfare system, I am also consulting Government colleagues. Once the report has been fully considered, my intention is to bring it to Government, at which time a decision regarding its publication date will be made.

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