Sinn Féin - On Your Side

A Child Maintenance Service for Ireland

20 April, 2022


This document outlines Sinn Féin’s proposals for the establishment of a Child Maintenance Service (CMS) in the State which supports lone parents and their children. The current situation as regards seeking child maintenance in the State is costly, complex and time consuming for lone parents. Sinn Féin want to take child maintenance out of the courts and instead, see a statutory agency step in when it comes to the arrangement, calculation and payment of child maintenance rather than leaving it up to the lone parent alone. We know that child maintenance, where paid, can play a key role in reducing child poverty. This is one reason why having a robust system in place is so important.