Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the legislation and the new provisions in it, and I have listened to the comments. As a Deputy, I meet many fathers who do not get any or adequate access to their children, particularly if a couple does not get on. The people may be separated, for example, and the issue is that the parents do not regularly see the children. I know courts can make decisions in this regard. Is there any implicit recognition in this legislation of a right to see the child? I know there are legal issues with the likes of barring orders and so on. One of the commonest complaints I hear from fathers is that they have nowhere to bring a child even if they have access. Poorer families in particular might have to walk in Drogheda or Dundalk on a Saturday or Sunday or go to the back of a pub or inappropriate places. These people want to bond with children but cannot do so in such places. I recently visited the Tusla centre in Drogheda and there is a special room for provision. Could the State do more to assist parents in such difficult positions? Often, if these men are not living at home, they are living in very poor accommodation or apartment complexes. They are often in very difficult financial circumstances. It is an issue for a number of my constituents.