Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A key aspect of this is that if we put the voice of the child centre stage, that can be a key plank in reforming the family law situation. I am intrigued by some points that Dr. Shannon made. He indicated that the binary nature of family processes is problematic for complex family situations and that children often want flexibility in arrangements that the system does not allow them to access. I would like to hear more about how that issue might be addressed practically. Dr. Shannon stated that we need some legislative change to give the voice of the child more focus, but it is presumably not just guardians ad litem. Some judges talk to the children and some do not. In practical terms, how could we do that? Dr. Shannon referred to experts in the area of child attachment, development, abuse and so on and indicated that advice could be provided to the judges appointed to deal with these cases. Will he expand on how that might work? Would it involve experts sitting down with families in order to put together reports or talking with judges? How would that be developed more practically?