FAILURE to pay maintenance for children born into unmarried families is leading to an increase in the number of lone parent families presenting with financial difficulty and living below the poverty line.

Maintenance agreements for children of separated parents are taken into account when single parents are being assessed for social welfare payments and payments are altered accordingly. Thus, a refusal or withholding of these payments is contributing to the growing number of lone parents, predominately mothers, who are presenting with difficulties in coping financially.

The Law Reform Commissions highlighted in it’s Consultation Paper on Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement studies in Ireland which has indicated that one parent households have the highest rates of consistent poverty at 31%, which shows a starked contract to the national average of 7%, a matter of great concern to Deputy Deirdre Clune, FG TD for Cork South Central.

“Predominately lone parent families sources of income are social welfare entitlements from the state and private employment and/or maintenance from a former partner or spouse. Studies have shown that unemployment opportunities for women with children in Ireland are low thus there is a greater reliance on the agreed maintenance to make ends meet and provide for their child.

“We are living in very difficult financial times for everyone but especially for lone parents who at this time of year are trying to pay for school uniforms, books as well as the day to day expenses that are naturally incurred. MABS has said that 60% of their client base are women and 40% of the debt difficulties presented by these women, whose primary income is social welfare payments, are arrears on utility bills.”

“Before the summer recess I questioned the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Mr Ahern if he was aware of the impact on families when court awarded maintenance is not being paid and of the current lack of enforcement options available to the courts and what steps he is taking to address this?

“I welcome his response that he is “currently in consultation with the Attorney General with a view to developing early proposals for amendments in respect of maintenance which I hope to include in the forthcoming Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill” but I believe it is imperative that this new legislation must come soon.

Under the Liability to Maintain Family Scheme, the Government is mandated to pursue absent parents for some or all of the State’s welfare payments for their child’s care but with inadequate resources to the court, Deputy Clune believes we are only forcing lone parents into further poverty.

“Studies throughout the country have persistently said that living on a low income is the single most common cause of debt in Ireland lone parent families are among the most indebted in the country. We need to make this a priority and change it.”