Ms Mary Roche:

On a daily basis we deal with issues that put huge pressures on families. There is alcoholism, drug abuse, poverty and lack of housing. Fathers who live in hubs have come to us. Mothers come to us and say, "He told me to leave, so I had to leave the house with the children, and I have no rights". The issue around fathers' rights is part of a broader suite of system reform and how people think about the matter. As mentioned in the reports of the Law Reform Commission, other jurisdictions do not use terms like "guardianship" and "custody access" but talk about parental responsibility, day-to-day care and contact in terms of access. The terms we use are considered to be parent-centred. Instead, we should use child-centred terms. We must also support families and provide resources so people have access to public housing and mental health services. One's family law system sits within that broader context.