Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of personnel who are receiving farm assist; if there has been an effort in recent times to promote this scheme in view of the serious decline in farm incomes and the difficulties in finding part-time jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23028/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The farm assist scheme, which introduced special arrangements for farmers on low incomes, was provided for in the Social Welfare Act, 1999 and came into operation with effect from 7 April 1999. There are now 7,609 farm assist customers. The current average weekly payment is EUR 174.07.

The level of take-up is less than had been anticipated when the scheme was first introduced in April 1999. This is due to the significant increase in off-farm employment in recent years and the take up of the Rural Social Scheme which is operated by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and which also specifically targets low-income farmers.

The farm assist scheme has brought about a worthwhile improvement for low income farmers and particularly for those with children and it makes a valuable contribution to supporting those who are at the lower end of the farm income spectrum. To increase awareness of the farm assist scheme, my Department undertook a major publicity campaign in 2002. Almost EUR100,000 was spent on the campaign which consisted of radio and press advertising, including specialist farming publications, and the production of a promotional video on the scheme.

More generally, the network of Social Welfare Offices and Citizen's Information Offices throughout the country provide information to members of the public on the range of schemes and services available, including the farm assist scheme. Information leaflets and applications forms for farm assist are available at these offices. In addition, Social Welfare Inspectors in rural areas promote the scheme when meeting customers in the course of their duties.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated figure as to the number of absent parents who are not paying required levels of child maintenance for their children; the action he intends to take to address this trend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22989/06]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to address the low number of absent fathers paying child maintenance; his views on introducing a mechanism to penalise absent fathers who fail to support their children financially; if so, the details of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22986/06]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of claims for one parent family payment for which the maintenance recovery unit has sought to trace liable relatives for each year since 2003 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23077/06]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of claims for one parent family payment for which maintenance is being paid directly to the claimant from the liable relative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23078/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 78, 85 and 119 together.

In every case where a one-parent family payment is awarded, the Maintenance Recovery Unit of my Department seeks to trace the other parent in order to ascertain whether he or she is in a financial position to pay maintenance either directly to the recipient of the one parent family payment or to contribute towards the cost of one-parent family payment which is paid to their family. This follow-up activity takes place within 2-3 weeks of the award of payment.

The number of one parent family payment recipients being paid by my Department at the end of April 2006 was 83,248. Included in this figure are 914 payments to widowed persons where maintenance is not an issue. In the period January 2003 to May 2006, the Maintenance Recovery Unit has examined 63,289 cases and issued determination orders to 8,958 liable relatives. During this period total savings arising from the work of this unit have amounted to EUR 56.9 million.

Of the 63,289 cases examined in the period January 2003 to May 2006, some 17,447 lone parents indicated that they were in receipt of maintenance payments from their former spouses, or, in the case of unmarried applicants, the other parent of their child. It is estimated that a further 9,700 lone parents are in receipt of a reduced rate payment by reason of maintenance. A total of 2,290 liable relatives contribute directly to the Department. Taken together these figures indicate that in excess of 40% of liable relatives are contributing to the support of their children.

Over the last number of years a total of 182 cases has been selected for court action. The aim behind this activity is to secure maintenance from non-compliant liable relatives.

In an effort to better estimate the numbers of absent parents not paying maintenance, the Maintenance Recovery Unit of my Department will, over the next 3 months, undertake a special project to examine the circumstances of the liable relatives of all newly awarded one-parent family payment claims and assess the level of contribution, through maintenance payments or through the meeting of educational or other costs, being made in respect of the children. The findings of this project will be used to assess how best the Department might interact with the liable relative population.