David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a question on this. The parental order came up in earlier discussions and in the briefings we had with the Minister's officials. The Minister mentioned the courts. There is concern over the time between birth and the making of a parental order. There was some discussion about whether the court system would be able to hear the cases in a timely fashion. Was consideration given to what would constitute a reasonable timeframe within which a court hearing must be held? Has there been engagement with the Courts Service through the Department of Justice on its capacity and so on? We do not want parents waiting far too long for a court case to come up, leaving them in limbo. The parental order is very important. I am satisfied with all the protections that have been put in place. A very clear direction is being given to the courts and judges on the requirements on all parties. This is really important. I commended the officials for that. What has been achieved is very difficult to do in legislation.

However, the issue raised was that the cases be held in a timely manner to allow for those parental orders to be made as quickly as possible. Since our previous discussions, has there been engagement with the Courts Service or the Department of Justice or feedback on any of this? Is it still ongoing?