Ms Mary Roche:

There is a class dimension to this. The international research shows that in shared parenting, one faces a whole range of different pressures if one is poorer. Going back to the Australian model, it is about resourcing communities, including by way of family centres which become points where people can go. It is also about changing how we think about this, how men think about their roles in respect of children and how we think about the family. The buck does not always stop with the woman. It is about changing that whole structure. Resources must be provided for poor neighbourhoods and communities in order that facilities are there for them. It is about proper public services for people.