Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. I acknowledge the financial involvement of the Community Foundation for Ireland, which provided the funding for the report. I also acknowledge the work of Elizabeth Kiely and Robert Bolton in completing the work. On the day of the launch it was harrowing to hear parents discussing their experience. One gentleman in particular spoke about the fact that as an unmarried father he has no rights to his child's report card. If his child got sick while her mother was a way he had no right to sign her medical records. A total of 34% of all children in the country are born to single parents but the father's rights are totally and utterly diminished. Fathers do not realise that under guardianship they do not have the right to this information. This is why I am asking about a specific strategy to create awareness to signpost their rights, which would be the start.

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