Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, published the first family justice strategy in November 2022, which sets out a vision for a family justice system of the future. This will be a system that focuses on the needs and rights of children, a system that assists their parents in making decisions that affect all of the family, and a system that makes it easier for vulnerable parents and families to get support and make informed decisions. The strategy is foundational in nature, recognising the many issues that currently exist within the system, but outlining the steps needed to move towards a family justice system that is streamlined and user-friendly, and which supports and protects children and their families. The family justice strategy is an ambitious and wide-reaching strategy which aims to achieve reform through the implementation of over 50 actions across nine goals. It prioritises the need and voice of the child, containing a number of actions which stress the importance of children and their needs in a reformed family justice system, so that their voices are heard and their views considered in a most meaningful way.

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