David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 70 of 20 June 2006, if the Maintenance Recovery Unit has completed its special report; if not, when it will be completed; if so, the findings of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14085/07]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of one parent family payment recipients; the number of liable relatives making payments directly to the Maintenance Recovery Unit; the number of OFP recipients receiving maintenance payments from the liable relative; the number receiving reduced payments as a result of receiving maintenance payments; the number of widows or widowers receiving OFP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14086/07]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of staff employed in the Maintenance Recovery Unit of his Department; the cost of running the unit in 2005 and 2006 respectively; the amount of money his Department saved or recouped in 2005 and 2006 respectively as a result of receiving maintenance directly from liable relatives or by reducing payments as a result of maintenance received by one parent family payment recipients; the amount of money paid out in OFP in 2005 and 2006 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14087/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 to 356, inclusive, together.

The one-parent family payment is an income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons and also for prisoners' spouses who are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. Expenditure on the one-parent family payment scheme was €751.1 million in 2005 and €834.3 million in 2006. At the end of February 2007, the total number of one-parent family payment recipients being paid by my department was 83,780. Included in this figure are payments to 848 widowed persons.

In every case where a one-parent family payment is awarded, other than those for widowed persons, the maintenance recovery unit seeks to trace the other parent, referred to as the liable relative, in order to ascertain whether he or she is in a financial position to contribute towards the cost of the one-parent family payment. All liable relatives assessed with maintenance liability are contacted by maintenance recovery unit and issued with a determination order setting out the amount of contribution assessed. Some 2,350 contributors have made payments directly to my department since the unit was established and approximately 700 liable relatives make contributions on a regular basis.

During the period June to August 2006 the maintenance recovery unit undertook an in-depth analysis of the cases referred to it to establish the number of cases where the liable relative was making cash or non-cash payments to the lone parent. Some 3,160 applications for one-parent family payment received during the period were examined and the liable relatives contacted.

It is not possible to give an exact number of one-parent family payment recipients who receive maintenance payments directly from liable relatives or the number receiving reduced payments as a result of getting maintenance payments. In many instances contributions received by one-parent family payment recipients do not result in a reduced rate of payment. However, findings from the project indicated that some 40% of liable relatives, i.e. 1,275 of the number contacted, were making a direct cash contribution to the support of their children, with a further 2% (62 liable relatives) providing contributions in indirect fashion by contributing to the costs of the child(ren)s' education, sporting activities, etc. A further 42% of parents could not be identified or could not be pursued for other reasons. The balance of 16% are those who could be followed up by the maintenance recovery unit but a proportion of those would not be liable to contribute because they are on low incomes or in receipt of a social welfare payment.

Arising from the work of the maintenance recovery unit savings, in the form of direct contributions by liable relatives and reductions/ terminations of one-parent family payment claims, to the value of €417.8 million in 2005 and €20.3 million in 2006 were achieved. A total of €1,958,000 was received by the maintenance recovery unit in the form of direct cash payments from liable relatives during 2006.

There are currently 15 staff working in the maintenance recovery unit. While the precise overall operating costs of the maintenance recovery unit in 2005 and 2006 are not available, the estimated staffing costs of running the unit in 2005 and 2006 are of the order of €500,000 for each year.