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MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Heather Humphreys will today publish a bill which will introduce significant reforms to social welfare entitlements for lone parents.
Her department has said over 16,000 lone parents will benefit from the reforms which include the exclusion of maintenance payments from social welfare means tests for the first time.
Minister Humphreys will bring the Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023 before the Dáil later today.
If enacted into law, the bill will mean many lone parents on reduced rates of payment will see their payment increase, while others will qualify for a payment.
It is estimated that the measure will cost approximately €10 million per year.
Speaking ahead of the Dáil debate, Minister Humphreys said the legislation represents a “landmark reform” of the child maintenance system.
“I saw it myself when I worked in the Credit Union. Some weeks, the child maintenance was paid, other weeks it was missed.
“And the person that suffers most in that situation is the child. And I don’t want to see that happen.
“So this bill will make a positive to so many different families and I’m very pleased to bring it before the Dáil today,” she said.
The bill also provides for ‘Liable Relative’ provisions to be discontinued. As a result, for lone parents receiving the One-Parent Family Payment, the Department will no longer seek to recoup a portion of claim costs from the non-resident parent.
Recently, Minister Humphreys signed into effect regulations, which mean that lone parents no longer have to prove that they have made efforts to seek child maintenance from their child’s other parent, when applying for the One Parent Family payment or Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment.
“This requirement often involved lone parents having to go to Court to seek a maintenance order, so this change removes a potential additional stress for them, as well as helping to reduce the burden on our courts system,” Minister Humphreys said.
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So instead of legislation to chase the dead beat dads not paying , everyone else has to pay for the child. Even less incentive for father to pay now.
@Alan James: it will also make women keep children from the father so they can say they are a lone parent and need the lone parent extra income.
@Alan James: A possible trojan horse for whats coming down the line as regards child maintenance. I would say this separation of maintenance from Social Welfare is in order to simply an approach by Revenue to collect from the other parent.
Utter madness otherwise.
Watch this space
@BillyBones: *simplify
@Alan James: that is exactly the opposite of what this bill is doing.
@Alan James: a lot of these dead beat low life’s believe in drop a load and run or cum and go. An ex friend of mine has a motto “ you have to leave something behind you “ same guy was married wife had issues conceiving so couldn’t have children the lad was out making up for her infertility and doesn’t contribute or or see any of the kids. Absolute low life.
Saw a 35 year old woman on Tik tok with 6 daughters.. her 17 year old daughter is now after having a baby and she is so proud of her.. Got only knows what this family will cost the taxpayer
@John Doe: that is sickening
Better off putting money into detection of fake lone parents and fining them.
@Mike 100: you do realise that this bill forces absent fathers (or mothers) to pay the state for their kids instead of the current system which puts the onus on the single parent to get the absent parent to pay. Under the current system if the parent (usually the mother) says they can’t get the father to pay maintenance for whatever reason the state doesn’t force the issue and pays the One Parent Family. Under this new bill the state will now chase the absent parent and deduct money from them, whether it be from their social welfare or their wages through an attachment of earnings. So nothing changes regarding how much the single parent goes. They still get the same amount of money as before. But now the absent parent has to reimburse the state for looking after their children.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: I hope it works but I’m sure these people(absent fathers, mothers)will find a way not to pay using the legal system to prolong not paying for years.
@Brian G: that’s the issue. There will be fathers who will claim they are not the father and how does the state address that. Will there be forced paternity tests? Will Jerry Springer be the minister for Absent Fathers? They will probably initially look at birth certs but I can see there being lots of teething issues and like you said, some fathers dragging it through the courts for years. There will need to be other laws drafted as a result of this bill. I’m no legal expert but would you need a change to the constitution to force paternity tests?
@John P Quinn: Making a fortune? Useless people? Really? That’s mothers you’re talking about, not politicians?
These comments are absolutely sickening not all lone parents choose to be lone parents. Bereavement, marriage breakdowns ect are also reasons why women find themselves in this position.You would really think that these women were getting thousands per week. Yes there are people out there milking the system but it’s not everybody.
@TRACEY NOONE:
Many lone parents are fathers also, comments section have no regards for this either.
@Anon.: I stand corrected I should have said parent. The reason I said mother is because a large majority are single women.
@TRACEY NOONE: I know one woman with 4 kids that’s getting €650 a week..Rent €65 a week.. no incentive to get work
@John Doe: Sounds like a bleak lifestyle to me. To each their own but I’d prefer to pay my own rent and engage my brain day to day, having the freedom to do what I want and travel where I want without thinking of 4 kids. That’s my incentive to work, I wouldn’t trade.
@John Doe: if he is a single man with 4 kids he is not getting 650 a week, or even close to it.
@John Doe: You know nothing of this woman. You mention her income but just one outgoing.
I have one child and was on OPF for a few years until they were old enough whereby I could return to the workforce. I can tell you it’s not the life of Reilly you make it out to be. I cut my cloth very tight for them years. Having kids is expensive and mentally exhausting and missed maintenance payments is the difference between a parent eating or not because the social take maintenance into account not only are you down the maintenance you are also down the money SW stop because on paper you are suppose to get it. Outgoings for 4 kids must be immense and does not just stop at 65euro per week for rent.
The attitude of the men here, no wonder women are doing it alone.
The Rats keep gnawing at yer pocket s hoping all the coins fall out. The cant get enough of your money and they want more control on everyone.
The social welfare system in this Country is only geared for single mothers,there’s so many with partners but not letting on,their allowed work x amount of hours,but some are working extra hours for cash ,aswell as that,the get FIS,,Haps while waiting for a council house,the extras too,they have better cars and life style than the working family,it’s crazy what’s been done,it’s more in their line to put all the money into Child Care,and especially with special needs,I know a lady working in a creche,and the single mothers are giving their kids red bull before dropping the kids off,and the child will be labeled with ADHD,AUTISM,r getting paid more,and the genuine children can’t get it,it’s true that their trying to get rid of the normal family
@Kathleen Peters: wrong on the allowed work x amount of hours – Hours doesnt come into it – They can work as many hours as they want, its assessed on earnings, first €165 disregarded then 50% of the rest is assessed.
If any are working cash in hand its more to do with the employer than the employee
Typical varadkR, government tactic. Get the less well off squibbling about minimum amounts of cash. Set them at each other and the liars up in the dail can let major funds come in, give them cart blanch to rob us blind. Of course the plebs will be too busy fighting over ppittance. Joke gov.
Yet again will be forced to pay for other people’s lifestyle choices – pay for your own offspring
The very men who are commenting on this article denigrating women are the same men who say ‘men are lone parents too’
Make your mind up lads. Can’t have it everyway any more.
People aren’t vermin. There’s plenty of room for all and plenty of money too it seems.
Please tell me why are there so so many lone parents?
@Margaret and Kevin Dunne: you must be brother and sister
@Margaret and Kevin Dunne: lots of women with zero morals basically
@Margaret and Kevin Dunne:
to get free housing
Fine Gaels Heather voted against Ireland joining the International Criminal court case on israels mass extermination of Palestenian people, in Dail Eireann last night ,and also her fine gael mp comrades voted for the European cease fire impossibe conditions vote on Gaza last week,
Just rember this at the two upcomming elections !!
Are Israel in control of FFG
@Kevin O Brien: this isn’t by accident,they don’t want the usually family,they want single mothers,and they have full control,Where u have a family,It can be a more stable home,and Children need both parents and their families in their lives,the women have all the power,look in the US,the black community 70% have no fathers in their lives,and there’s multiple children from different partners,sexual abuse in the home in the US,it’s over 60% comes because the mother is having differnt partners and having kids with them,this Country here is gone,
Why can’t we comment on the GENOCIDE article???
@tara tevlin: fairly obvious reasons considering some of the people who comment on here.
@tara tevlin: The Times of Israel have comments open on all their articles if you like a debate with the genocide cheerleaders
have your say