Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Teresa Costello has called on Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to implement a get-tough approach to parents who fail to pay child maintenance.
Costello has also called on Minister McEntee to provide an update on how many of the 26 recommendations made in a report published in January 2024 by the Child Maintenance Review group have been implemented.
The January report made 26 recommendations to address the issue of parents who fail to pay child maintenance. The report discussed the potential of child maintenance payments been collected by Revenue or deducted at source from any welfare payments by An Post as part of a reform process of supports to children of separated parents.
“The loss of a child support payment can have a detrimental impact on children in the household. There are very few avenues open to the single parent to chase the child support payments other than a stressful, costly and time-consuming appearance in the District Court. This is a step that most people do not want to go through.”
“There were 5,862 applications for maintenance in the District Court, a 7.5% increase on the 5,451 in 2021. We need to support single parents who are raising children in difficult circumstances”
“Throughout the course of my work I meet many parents left to shoulder the financial responsibility of their children solely. Some simply give up pursuing child maintenance as it’s so mentally draining to continually have to chase up payments through the courts even when a court order is in place”.
Costello has said there is a perception amongst some parents that child maintenance support means funding a lavish lifestyle for the other parent and that in Ireland we must get hard on parents not willing to pay maintenance for their child. Costello has stated she will pursue the matter with Minister McEntee.
“I have had parents who forego child maintenance because the resentment they receive from the other parent. There seems to be an illusion that child maintenance funds a lavish lifestyle when this is simply not true anyone rearing children knows that fresh air doesn’t pay for the necessities”.
“It’s time for real change in Ireland an Ireland whereby it’s just not possible to escape supporting your children financially – I am disappointed that there has been no update since the announcement in January, but I will be pursuing this matter”.