Dáil debates

Tuesday, 17 May 2022

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Departmental Reports

9:00 pm

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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79. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the date she expects to publish the child maintenance review group report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24645/22]

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Glaoim ar an Teachta Gannon.

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I do not think it is me next.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan is next.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Ach níl sé anseo.

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking No. 77.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Calleary is taking No. 77 and I am taking No. 78.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am just reading what I have in front of me and I have received no notice of substitutions.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I have got word.

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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It has all been done. We have got the confirmation back from-----

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will take Deputy Gannon. Perhaps we can check the order but I had no notice of that. There is no problem if the Deputies have done it but there is nothing before me.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We will take Deputy Gannon's question in the meantime.

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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My question is brief. I want to ask the Minister the date she expects to publish a child maintenance review group report and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In line with the programme for Government commitment, the Government established a child maintenance review group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The group's terms of reference were to consider and make recommendations on the following: 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 a public consultation process. Submissions were received from members of the public, as well as from Members of the Oireachtas, non-governmental organisations and professional bodies. These valuable submissions were given detailed consideration during the group's deliberations. The group also examined the international position where there are a variety of different approaches taken to these matters.

I am pleased to advise that the group has completed its work and that its report was submitted to me on 22 April. I would like to thank the chair and the group members for their detailed consideration of these important issues. I am 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 the publication date will be made.

I am mindful that lone parents continue to be a group with a high risk of poverty. Budget 2022 included a number of measures of benefit to lone parents as follows. For example, personal rates of payment were increased by €5 per week. The rate of increase for a qualified child was increased by €2 to €40 per week in respect of a qualified child under age 12, and by €3 to €48 per week in respect of a qualified child aged 12 or over. There was a €10 weekly increase in the working family payment income limits and the level of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance was increased by €10 to €160 for each child aged four to 11, and to €285 for each child aged 12 and over.

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister and I welcome getting some degree of insight to the report. In her next response I ask the Minister to give an estimated date for publication of the report. Would it be before summer, for example? It would be helpful if we had some degree of knowledge of the timeline. We both agree that it is abhorrent that lone parents and their children continue to be one of the groups that is among the most, if not the most, at risk of experiencing poverty in Ireland. Despite this we continue to see child maintenance as a private matter. Data from the Growing Up in Ireland survey shows that: 50% of non-resident parents provide no maintenance payments; 30% regularly pay maintenance; and 14% pay maintenance on a required basis. The system of having to rely on the courts for pursuing maintenance also adds unnecessary stress and makes seeking maintenance an adversarial pursuit by default. For parents who go to court the award of maintenance for the court varies vastly. In a recent survey published by Spark, 154 respondents showed the average court award per child was €53.93 and down as low as €3.85 per child. Will this be factored into the Minister’s report? Can she give us some indication of the date when we will see it please?

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As I said, the report runs to a few hundred pages and the chairperson of the group was Judge Catherine Murphy. A huge amount of work was put in, they asked for extra time so that it could be given the attention it deserved and I want to thank the group for the work they put in. There are a lot of issues here; it is not just social protection but there are other issues as well that cross into the Department of Justice.

I have an interest in it and I have discussed it with Deputy Kerrane. We need to ensure we get this right. We cannot keep doing what we are doing and expect a different answer. I am very aware of situations where people do not meet their commitments to pay maintenance. It is very difficult for mothers to rear children when they are not getting that support from the fathers. I am sorry, it could be the other way, but usually that is the way.

9:10 pm

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister for her response. I fully appreciate this is a matter that crosses many Departments. I also appreciate the urgency behind it. A report from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul some months ago indicated many one-parent families are choosing between having meals and paying their electricity costs. These issues will not be addressed through the report. The report might give some indication of the urgency of Government to tackle it across Departments. That is why I would like to know when we will see the report. Notwithstanding how comprehensive and detailed it is and the level of engagement, we need to know when the Minister will publish the report and outline what she will do about it. Given the level of poverty and deprivation and that some parents are skipping meals, we need to say what we are going to do about it quickly.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As I said in reply to Deputy Kerrane earlier, I will not leave this sitting on a shelf. This report will be acted on. I will bring a memorandum to Government with the full report and our proposed response. I want to move it along. I would like to get it to Cabinet before the summer recess. We will publish the report and the Government's response at that stage. We want to provide ample time to give it due consideration. It is a long report, considerable work went into it and I do not want to rush it. However, I will not leave it sitting there because we need to do something about it and I am committed to doing that.