Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2025-11-12
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Rose Conway-Walsh (SF), Mayo

A recent report by TCD, UCC and Women's Aid confirms that family law courts fail to take domestic abuse and threats to harm into account when making decisions about guardianship, custody and access to children. Court-ordered access for abusers continues to place survivors and children at risk. Why does parental contact continue to take priority over the rights, safety and express wishes of children in Irish family law proceedings? Does the Taoiseach accept that this approach is inconsistent with Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights to the Child, particularly Articles 3 and 12, which require the best interests and voice of the child to be primary considerations? Will the Taoiseach outline what reforms the Government will introduce to ensure that children's rights and safety are placed above any presumed right to parental contact in cases involving proven domestic violence or coercive control or where there is ongoing risk?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-11-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-11-12