Fathers shut out of their children?s lives are going to be given help, said Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler.

Think tanks will be set up, said the Minister, who has been working with the family group Childwatch.

Mr. Butler said: ?For those men who are making (maintenance) payments but don?t have access, we will look at the reasons why and what the law says about equal access.

?Hopefully, the facilitator will recommend some ways we can lessen the number of men who end up in prison for lack of child support.?

Some men were enormously distressed about making full payments only to get an hour a week with their children, said Mr. Butler.

They also complained about women using the money for trips and social events rather than necessities.

?There?s a lot of pain out there that men are feeling, that forces them to withdraw their payments. But our argument is ?don?t let the child suffer?.?

He had little sympathy for those locked up after dodging payments.

However he added: ?Recently there have been a couple of cases which apparently have come up where people have made payments only to discover through DNA that they had made payments all these years and the kid wasn?t theirs.

?That?s unfortunate. I personally would hope they will pat themselves on the back in the realisation they made a difference in the life of that child rather than be so anguished they start demanding repayment or being abusive to the other parent. It?s life, it?s unfortunate it happened.?

Childwatch head Eddie Fisher will be sent to a leadership conference while a public forum will be set up for fathers, said Mr. Butler, who pledged his ministry will have regular contact with every family pressure group.

Mr. Fisher, who could not be reached for comment, has in the past argued the law was stacked against fathers and in favour of mothers, leaving young dads feeling desperate and frustrated when attempting to build or retain relationships with their children.

He has called for legislation to give fathers the same rights as mothers when it comes to custody, visiting rights and maintenance.

Meanwhile, in response to concerns raised by the Coalition for the Protection of Children that Government splits up families that are homeless, Minister Butler said many of the cases were complicated with physical or sexual abuse having taken place in the home.

And he said Government tries to keep families together if possible.