Limerick councillor's call to scrap assessments of child maintenance payments

COUNCIL should no longer consider child maintenance payments as income when calculating the rent tenants pay on local authority homes.

That’s according to Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey O’Mara, who saw a motion unanimously passed urging council bosses to scrap the assessment of these payments at a housing committee meeting.

He wants Limerick to follow in the footsteps of Cork County Council in ceasing to assess child income when it comes to families renting housing from the authority.

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He said: “Currently, the Limerick City and County Council differential rent scheme defines child maintenance as a form of income that can be assessed to rent for families in local authority homes. I believe this needs to be amended immediately as it unfairly targets the families of some of the most vulnerable in Limerick.

He pointed to statistics which show a quarter of children in Ireland are raised by single parents, many of whom rely on State support.

“We know child maintenance, even when ordered by the court, can be inconsistent with no guarantee that it will continue until the child turns 18,” said Cllr Hickey-O’Mara.

Council housing executive Mary Hayes stated the authority is set to earn over €20m from its housing stock this year.

She suggested Cllr Hickey-O’Mara’s recommendation be deferred pending the outcome of a national rent review.

However, because the motion was backed by the committee, it will now go forward as a recommendation to full council.