Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Since I raised in the House recently the impact on women and children of assessments under section 47 of the Family Law Act 1995, I have had a flood of contacts from yet more mothers and accredited practitioners in the psychological services outlining disturbing experiences of women and their children assessed under this process. One eminent practitioner is very anxious about mothers engaging in the process at all, such is the concern about how it operates. I have put down a series of questions to the Minister for Justice on the appointment, qualifications, accreditation and professional development of court assessors and their practices. In response, I received a letter from the Ceann Comhairle to say the Minister has no function in this matter.

I was not interfering in any case. I did not mention any case or any names. We are legislators and we make the laws in this House. We cannot ignore a situation where court assessors are making assessments of families within the justice system but are accountable to no one. They have all that power but no accountability. The mothers are silenced by the in camerarule and the Deputies who represent them are now stonewalled by the Oireachtas. How do we, as legislators, address this perverse situation whereby the Ceann Comhairle tells me the Minister for Justice has no function when children's lives are left hanging in the balance?

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