More than 500 parents forced to pay welfare

More than 500 parents are being made to begin paying or pay extra maintenance toward the welfare of their children after reviews found they were coming up short on their contributions.

The Department of Social Protection said the work of the maintenance recovery unit had resulted in savings of almost €3.8m last year.

The department’s figures show a huge fall in the number of cases reviewed where the absent parent was found to not be liable for maintenance payment. The number of determination orders being issued, demanding higher payments, also increased.