Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I acknowledge the Ceann Comhairle's tolerance of me raising again and again numerous issues in the House over the past 12 months, none more so than the intolerable treatment of Irish mothers and their children, and in some cases Irish fathers, who have been subjected to a pseudo-condition or affliction to the effect that they are being deprived of their civil and human rights. In some cases, the extraordinary situation has occurred whereby, even outside this jurisdiction, demands are made of huge amounts of money in order to facilitate what would normally be their rights and entitlements in family law situations. We know that the relevant Minister has changes in hand and this will come about, but there is a situation where decisions have already been made and a means has to be found to address that.

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