Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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815. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of establishing a child maintenance service similar to that available in Northern Ireland. [20012/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Issues relating to child maintenance are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, who has responsibility for the Family Law Acts, which govern maintenance requirements.

However, in order to address child maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to schemes in my Department, a Child Maintenance Review Group has been established to examine a number of issues regarding child maintenance. Specifically, the group is tasked with examining whether there is a case for the establishment of a child maintenance agency in Ireland. The group is being chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy.

The purpose of the Child Maintenance Review Group is to consider and make recommendations on:

- The current treatment within the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection of child maintenance payments;

- The current provisions relating to the liable relatives regarding child maintenance; and

- The establishment of a State Child Maintenance Agency.

The Child Maintenance Review Group's work will get underway shortly.

It is envisaged that the Group will undertake a consultation exercise with representative groups and the public as part of its work. It is intended that the Group will submit a Report to me within twelve months of its establishment. 

At present, it is impossible to estimate the cost of establishing a child maintenance service in the State as this will depend on multiple factors, including whether the Child Maintenance Review Group recommends the establishment of such an agency and any functions or remit it might have.