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

I also welcome this year’s social welfare Bill. I will take the opportunity to raise a couple of issues. I understand the legislation around lone parents and the treatment of child maintenance and social welfare payments is to come. I ask that it be done as quickly as possible. I have made the point many times that child maintenance is for the upbringing of a child or children. It should never have been treated as household means and to have an impact on lone parents’ income, which they very badly need. Many of the recommendations made in the child maintenance review group are recommendations we have repeatedly made on the floor here over many years. I welcome the recommendations but ask that the legislation be brought forward as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister to continue to look at the possibility of establishing a child maintenance service. We have proposals on that. I do not believe it is fair to leave it in the courts system. It is not fair on lone parents and it does not put the child first. I ask that the Department look at this issue.

On family carers, I greatly welcome the moves made to the State pension and a State pension for family carers, to which they are entitled and much deserving of. I will raise just one issue in this regard. A number of family carers work as home care assistants. During Covid, they, like many, stepped up to the plate. They did more than the 18.5 hours. Everyone was asked to step up and do more; they did. I understand a small number of them have been penalised and are paying back sums in regard of the carer's allowance. Will the Minister look at the small cohort of family carers and give them some kind of an amnesty? They stepped up; they were in PPE; they had a difficult time and they did their duty. They made a big difference to people with loved ones who are cared for by home care assistants. I ask the Minister to look at this matter for a very small number of family carers. There are not many of them.

The Department will be sending out letters to those who have applied for the State pension and giving them the option to defer. That is fine and well but when will the letters go out? I understand the legislation has to go through first but can the Minister give an indication? Some people have applied and they will have to wait until they receive that letter before their applications can go forward.

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