Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I welcome the research report prepared by Treoir, which highlights the unique circumstances that unmarried fathers face in sharing parental responsibility.

The report makes a number of recommendations, which are under review by my officials. Under the national planning framework, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, we identified the importance of supporting parents as one of six transformational goals that are central to delivering the best future for children and their families.

As a constituent part of Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, my Department published a high-level policy statement on supporting parents and families in 2015. This statement set out the policy agenda for parenting and family supports. It recognised the diverse range of family configurations in Ireland and the need for supports to be inclusive of all family forms so as to be effective. In addition, I am pleased to confirm that, as promised in First 5, my Department recently established a dedicated parenting support policy unit, which will lead in co-ordinating the direction of parenting support policy and activity across Departments and State agencies. The unit will continue to progress the Department’s engagement with stakeholders, building on the parenting support stakeholder group and subsequent open policy debate held in May.

Given the extent of existing policy under the high level statement and First 5, I have no plans to publish a separate further strategy on parenting. I believe the area is well addressed under our current strategies. I very much support the focus of Treoir’s report. I acknowledge that much of the research to date on parenting arrangements has focused on divorce and separation after marriage. By exploring how unmarried parents who are no longer in a relationship can be supported to maintain shared parenting where it is in the best interests of the child, this report provides a valuable new insight. It reaffirms my belief that the diversity of parenting arrangements needs to be recognised in policy and service development, and my Department will continue to place the real life experiences of children and their families at the core of our work.

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