Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 219: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the avenues of redress open to persons whose former partners renege on their legal obligations to make maintenance payments. [7120/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Where a spouse defaults in making agreed payments of maintenance or defaults in making payments ordered by a Court, the Court has at its disposal a system of enforcement of payments. These include an attachment of earnings order and, ultimately, committal for refusal to obey a court order to pay, the means having been assessed by the Court. District Court clerks are empowered, using a special mechanism contained in maintenance cases generally, to prosecute a case for arrears of maintenance. The Legal Aid Board makes the services of solicitors and, where necessary, barristers available to persons of modest means seeking redress in civil law, including family law cases.