Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of the one-parent family payment who returns to his or her native Nigeria, gets married and returns here to live with his or her children, who is not in receipt of any payment or material support from his or her spouse who remained in Nigeria, and who informs the Department of the marriage can continue to receive the one-parent family payment in view of the fact that the family in question is a one-parent family unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7164/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The one-parent family payment (OFP) is a payment for persons who are bringing up a child or children without the support of a partner. In order to get this payment, a person must first meet certain qualifying conditions, satisfy a means test, and be habitually resident in the State.

The OFP payment, by its nature, is only payable to persons who are widowed, separated or divorced, unmarried (including one whose marriage has been annulled or civil partnership has been dissolved), or whose spouse is imprisoned. If a person who is in receipt of the OFP payment marries, entitlement to the payment ceases as and from the date of that person’s marriage.

In addition, OFP is only payable to persons who are not cohabiting. There are a number of criteria used when assessing cohabitation that takes into account living arrangements, financial arrangements, dependent children and the degree to which the couple present themselves as a couple. As such, the payment is not made in instances where a parent has a husband or wife or a partner, irrespective of distance unless they are separated and no longer in a relationship.

The outcome in specific cases will depend on the exact circumstances and detail of the claim.