Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division: Enforcement Campaign Launch - 10 September 2008

Thank you Mary and good morning everyone.

I am delighted to be here today to formally launch our New Promotional Enforcement Campaign and, in doing so, support the work of our staff in the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division as they continue to pursue our primary aim of getting more money for more children.

The Division, formerly known as the Child Support Agency, has been heavily criticised through the years for failing to secure maintenance payments from Non-Resident Parents and no doubt some of that criticism has been justified –

but let me be very clear – the single biggest obstacle to progress in securing money for children has been the unwillingness, indeed refusal, of some Non-Resident Parents to take proper responsibility for their children and pay their assessed liabilities.

In an ideal world the State would not be getting involved in family situations where parents are separating.  So my staff have a tough job!  They find themselves getting involved in peoples’ lives at a very stressful time.  Many parents with care are left to bring up children in really difficult circumstances and often with very little money.

Over the years, there have been too many examples of Non-Resident Parents going to extreme lengths to evade their responsibilities and to misrepresent their circumstances in order to avoid paying maintenance.  

Today, over 12,000 children in Northern Ireland are either getting no maintenance or only part of what they are due.  

This is not acceptable.  

We need to change the mindset that says it’s ok not to support your child.  

That’s why as part of our enforcement strategy I’m launching a Media Campaign to bring home a number of key messages which I believe will stir the consciences of even the most reluctant parents:  asking them, in the starkest terms, ‘Are you robbing your child?’

We also need to end the idea that you can choose not to support your child.  

Today, I am giving a very clear message to non-compliant, Non-Resident Parents that there is no hiding place.  We will use all the powers at our disposal to track down those who are determined to avoid or evade paying for their child.  

Although some people focus on the outstanding debt we have already seen many improvements in performance, particularly in the numbers of children benefiting from child maintenance and the amount of maintenance, including arrears, which has and continues to, be collected.   

Ladies and gentlemen, Child Support debt it is not like any other debt.  It is not like debt which has accrued in respect of material goods.  This is money owed to children.

Since I took up office, the number of children being helped has risen to around 20,000 (from 17,000 in 2006).  Also, the amount collected on behalf of children has risen substantially to over £20m in the last year.

We have invested heavily in new processes.  Improvements in technology, staff, training and development but, ladies and gentlemen, in the final analysis, if Non-Resident Parents are determined to beat the system, our endeavours will meet with limited success – we need to influence and change those behaviours.

And how we discharge Child Support debt goes to the very heart of what we believe as a society about the rights of children and the responsibilities of parents.   

Non-payment of child maintenance sends out poor messages about parental responsibility; it sets a bad example; it leads to fractured child-parent relationships.  And if we allow Child Support debt to go unchecked we send out a damaging message to parents, present and future – the message that it is ok not to support your child.

This campaign is about changing attitudes.  It is about sending out the simple message that not supporting your children is wrong.  Think of the shift in public opinion over drink driving in recent years.  We must do the same in relation to Child Maintenance.  It must be socially unacceptable.

That said; my bottom line is getting money to the children who need it and are entitled to it.  So if we have to, we will use all the powers at our disposal to deliver for children.  And we do have very robust powers through the courts to enforce payment:

Finally, if all else fails, we can, ultimately, have non-payers committed to prison.  

We will not take ‘no’ for an answer.  

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are standing up for the children of Northern Ireland.  

Thank you.