Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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213. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the incident of Intreo personnel sending an official letter to a person (details supplied) placing an onus on them to make contact with their abuser in order to secure financial support; her plans to ensure that this does not reoccur for persons seeking one parent family payments. [51291/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department takes the issue of domestic violence very seriously. We are in the middle of Women's Aid's "16 Days" campaign which I fully support every year. I also recognise that my Department’s Maintenance Recovery Unit does a worthwhile job in assisting people where its assistance is required. The guidelines in place in my Department with regard to seeking maintenance are clear in respect of circumstances involving domestic abuse or violence. Claims should be processed without delay to the individual who presents and without the lone parent who has the child ever having to contact the former partner.

Historically, for reasons of data protection, when a person presented to a local social welfare office indicating that he or she was in a difficult or vulnerable position, a flag was not placed on his or her electronic record because the Department did not want him or her to be known for that particular flag.

In the past week, a case was brought to my attention by a very brave young woman. Last Friday, I met the young woman in question and we had a long conversation about what had happened to her in order that I could learn about what broke down in the delivery of the Department's services.

I also had the privilege of meeting representatives of Women's Aid in the Department yesterday. I rang the organisation last week requesting a meeting and we had the launch of the "16 Days" campaign on Friday. We have provided Women's Aid with copies of all of the letters and correspondence the Department sends to lone parents, with a view to having these documents adapted and changed through the lens of someone who is in a vulnerable position and to ensure that no one, even through human error, will receive a letter that causes pain or distress, such as occurred last week.

Women's Aid agreed to come back to me within a week with suggestions on the wording of the correspondence.

We also agreed that Women's Aid will develop an accredited training course for the Department to be delivered to all front-line staff who may deal with a person who is in a vulnerable or precarious position. The training course will be delivered by Women's Aid in conjunction with my Department's Staff Development Unit.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.