Just 25% of parents pay support after order

Just one-quarter of people found to owe child maintenance payments last year only began making payments after being contacted by the Department of Social Protection.

Figures show that in another 25% of cases, the identity of a parent could not be confirmed.

The department’s maintenance recovery unit examined 10,820 liable relatives last year and then issued 1,915 determination orders on the basis those people were in a position to make maintenance payments.

But just 545 liable relatives began making the payments with a further 33 paying the department directly.

Another 88 liable relatives could not be traced while a further 525 were classified as ‘unknown’ — with the department admitting the people involved could not be identified.

While the work of the unit is central to securing payments to those parents raising children on their own, and also helps to lower the overall spend by the department, a spokeswoman denied some people were simply ignoring their requirements to pay.

She said that, of the cases not included in the categories ‘not making a payment’ or those who could not be traced or were ‘unknown’, some may have appealed the determination order and others may be in discussions with the department regarding a schedule of payment.

Last year, the department said that the work of the unit, which operates out of Carrick-On-Shannon, Co Leitrim, had resulted in savings of almost €3.8m in 2011.

Last year, the additional payments secured by the unit resulted in an average of €59 per week being paid, meaning the department could lower its contribution while the recipient was, on average, better off by €40 a week.

In the 33 cases where liable relatives paid the department directly, the average weekly sum was €77.

The latest figures provided to the Irish Examiner come as Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has pledged to save an extra €40m this year in fraud control measures.

Last year’s control savings target had been €645m and the department is calculating the outturn to see if it had been achieved. It has also stepped up fraud control measures.

The department said it is now carrying out desk reviews of claim papers, home visits, mail-shots to selected customers, database checking and medical reviews.

An increasing number of cases are also being brought before the courts. Last year, there were 675 cases in the courts, while the department also stressed it was aiming to recover 100% of all overpayments which, in 2011, amounted to more than €92m, including almost €35m in suspected fraud overpayments.