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

Some of what the Minister said regarding what the Department is doing, instructed by her, is really welcome. While the Department is not obliging parents to prove or show proof that they have sought maintenance, in practice is maintenance still being used in meeting the calculation of the lone parent payment?

There was no agreement in the review group regarding the possibility of setting up a child maintenance service. It is important for the Minister to clarify her position regarding the possibility of such a service being established because, as she said, any changes that are made, and it is important they are made, do not remove the obligation on the non-custodial parent to maintain his or her child. This is what the legislation states. How are we going to support lone parents to ensure that happens and how do we do it outside the court environment, which is a difficult one for many lone parents?

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