Ms Stephanie Whyte:

The delays in family court processes can represent a chunky portion of the life of a child. The delays can be a very large proportion of a child's life. Once a decision is made, its enforcement can be immediate. We have seen scenarios where, for whatever reason, a child may not have seen or had access to a parent for a lengthy period and then jump quickly to weekend visits without any kind of support to help with that transition. It is reinforcing the point to which Ms Kiernan referred. Whenever the reform happens, soft supports must be provided to ensure there are places for families to get help to understand and process the decisions, and to implement them in order that children can be facilitated to engage positively in whatever decisions are being taken.