After three months as Family and Social Solidarity Minister, have you identified the areas that need the greatest attention?

Each sector has areas of critical importance – pension reform to achieve sustainability and adequacy, a clampdown on benefit fraud, housing provision for those most in need, together with a more efficient and coordinated service to our clients when it comes to social accommodation, the needs of children in residential care, the increase of female participation in every sector of life, at all levels, further integration of persons with disabilities, the welfare of refugees and irregular immigrants, legislation, especially that regarding domestic violence, NGOs and a revisiting of rent laws.

These, and more, are areas that require particular attention in the years to come.

What are the main problems you think need to be addressed within the ministry?

I will identify one major problem, and that is handling benefit fraud. It is a challenge we are going to face head-on. We know there are people abusing our generous system. That has already been proven when a substantial number of people were found to be receiving Children’s Allowance when they were not eligible. The money released from benefit fraud will be re-directed to those who really need help and to the provision of services which at present are beyond our resources. The second challenge revolves around the provision of a more holistic approach towards the needs of our clients.

Does the government intend discussing the issue of divorce to see what the people want?

In a democracy like ours, society is free to debate those issues it considers important and which constitute priorities. Governments listen to different points of view and give due consideration in policy-making. The general feeling is that divorce is not a priority issue in our society at this time, although there is a vociferous lobby in favour.

Meanwhile, the government continues to give paramount attention to supporting families through structures such as the National Commission for the Family, which is made up of people within different areas of expertise and whose brief includes advising the minister on policy-making. Agenzija Appogg has grown into a well-coordinated agency that assists individuals and families in difficulty, offering its services to thousands of people.

Should the government’s agreement with the Church on marriage be reviewed?

I have distinct memories of the arguments for and against this law when it came into force. Ten years down the line is just about right for an evaluation of any law.

When one considers the number of separations, annulments and calls for divorce, is the Maltese family still strong?

Yes, the family remains strong in Malta despite the increasing number of separations, annulments and calls for divorce.

What is very worrying is the negative attitude that some members of our younger generation are developing towards marriage. The worst thing that can happen to the institution of marriage is the loss of the “till death do us part” commitment, even prior to the marriage itself.

This is why strengthening the family in as many ways as possible must remain our priority as a country and society. This must be done while being sensitive and responsive to the needs of the members of marriages which no longer work well.

Should the traditional demographic of the family be protected even though new forms are coming about in today’s society, such as single parent families and cohabitation?

Experience has shown that the traditional model of the family is the most conducive to the common good of society in general, certainly to children’s healthy development and well-being. However, this is not an absolute.

Legislation upholds the status of the traditional model of the family and safeguards this model, but recent laws in Malta have looked towards the rights of children born outside marriage.

Many of the people charged in the courts have a drug problem; several have also graduated from various rehabilitation programmes numerous times. Do you think these programmes are working and if not what can be done to make them more effective and help people get back on track?

The key issue here is that drug dependence is viewed as a chronic relapsing disorder, therefore people with such a problem may well attend programmes on more than one occasion.

Repeat entry does not imply that the programmes are not working. However, programmes may be improved by ensuring better re-integration of the user into society.

The Commission for the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Dependencies is currently working on a twinning project with the Netherlands that will provide cooperation and training with regard to comprehensive and scientific data collection. In this manner, a national drug policy and related strategy will be

formulated.

The strategy must take into account the unfolding scientific evidence and changing realities so the programmes will be as effective as possible. What is undoubtedly important is that ex-users be given the opportunity to start a new life, to become part of the labour market and for them to feel reintegrated into society.

Is the recently appointed children’s commission working as planned?

The Children’s Commissioner and the Children’s Council are new experiences for Malta and it is vital that they be given time to develop and mature, especially through raising awareness of their role, among children in particular. Our Commissioner has already become a familiar face with many. She is assiduously visiting children in their own environment while defining her role to adults. In the few months that she has been in office, the welfare of children has definitely moved forward on the country’s agenda.

Should children from broken homes be more protected?

Yes, these children should be protected as much as possible both by legislation as well as the provision of services. One of the aims behind the Family Court was for children to be protected while their parents undergo separation proceedings, making the process more humane for all concerned and upholding priority of children’s rights over the parents’.

The Court may, at times, also choose to call in a Children’s Advocate to safeguard the interests of the child.

In extreme cases, when parents are not in a position to assume responsibility for their children, alternative care arrangements are made to ensure protection of the children. In such cases, the best interest of the children is paramount and priority is given to children being placed in a family environment such as in foster families, and to keep siblings together, whenever this is possible.

Does the fact that mostly single parents are opting to rent social housing cause any problems? Does this give single parents any advantage over other families applying to rent and can this advantage be abused in any way?

Single parents, especially single mothers, make up one of the most numerous categories of people seeking social housing. Allocation is based on a point system and being a single parent is one factor that is taken into consideration, along with other criteria, such as income, the number of people sharing accommodation and the physical conditions that a family is living in.

Many single parents live with their own parents and siblings in cramped conditions, with social benefits as their only means of income, and in very tense situations. Others rent private property, with the rent itself taking a considerable chunk of their income, even though subsidies on rent are another benefit that many apply for and are given.

Yes, like anything else, the system may be and is, unfortunately, sometimes abused and it is not as easy as one may think to avoid the abuse, although I know that the Department for Social Housing does its best to minimise it. In real terms, the concept of social accommodation in Malta needs to be reviewed. There are people who moved into social housing 30 years ago and today, their financial situation is very different from what it was then – some have hefty assets, property of their own rented out to others, while they still pay Lm60 or Lm70 annually for a large, roomy flat. Others pass on their units to family members, or to others, because the system allows this to happen very easily.

In many ways, therefore, the people who are in need are not benefiting while others who are not in need continue to do so. I find this extremely socially unjust and definitely should be addressed.

Does the mother always get custody of the children in separation proceedings?

The Court’s decision is based on which party is considered best qualified to care for the children.

Do you think the custody conditions are fair on both parents?

The court’s decision focuses on the best interest of the child rather than that of the parents.

Have we succeeded in achieving gender equality?

There has been significant progress over the last few years. But there is still a great deal to be done. It is no longer a matter of legislation so much as a need for

further cultural change, which happens gradually. It is an ongoing process that is sometimes so subtle that one is not even aware that there is a quiet revolution going on.

The setting up of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality for Men and Women (NCPE) is an important landmark in this field, as is the awareness that discrimination is not only against the rights and dignity of the individual but against the rights and needs of families and society in general.

Do you think women are fighting to go beyond equality?

I have no doubt that the “anything you can do I can do better” attitude sometimes surfaces in some women, in particular circumstances, but in general I think that women still have to strive to achieve equality and many feel they have to prove themselves by working harder, achieving better results and delivering better than their male counterparts.

Are certain jobs defined by gender?

Traditionally certain jobs have been defined by gender. There are still people who think that women wearing white coats in hospitals are nurses while all the males are doctors. We still celebrate first woman appointments in some sectors, mainly because the participation of women is still relatively new.

The role of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality for Men and Women (NCPE) includes that of ensuring no gender discrimination takes place at work or even when vacant jobs are advertised. The government’s Gender Mainstreaming Programme is another measure taken to safeguard equality. However as I already mentioned, there needs to be the necessary culture change so that jobs traditionally done by one gender or the other can be seen in the light of equal opportunities.