Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a question for the Children's Rights Alliance and Barnardos. Although we are supposed to be a secular State and we are supposed to be legislators, such legislation is often subject to ideological assessments. Although Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus Christ he did a pretty good job of rearing him. One of the earlier presenters said structural issues regarding the family courts should be dealt with in tandem with this legislation. In family courts, civil and family cases are taken at the same time. There is an issue around mediation, which some of the presentations have identified. Although mediation is by its nature a voluntary process, we can give people the information and point them to such solutions.