Dáil debates
Tuesday, 2 July 2024
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
3:25 pm
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source
Domestic violence and child abuse concerns that were recently raised in a Department of Justice report found that assessors do not have adequate training or accreditation to properly assess family violence. I am dealing with a case where a family were told last year by Tusla that they should not allow recommended access to go ahead. One parent was told by Tusla that it should not go ahead, and at this stage, a year later, Tusla is accusing that same parent of parental alienation. This report says it all. The assessors in front of the courts, and the judges determining custody and access based on the evidence of those assessors, have made grave errors. We need to revisit this and have a grave discussion with regard to what the Department of Justice report says, sooner rather than later. We are interfering with children's rights and people's families.
Paul Anderson
Posted on 3 Jul 2024 5:55 pm (This comment has been reported to moderators)
TUSLA have no advice on their website about Parental Alienation unlike their UK equivalents CAFCASS
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-09/Alien... Also the Department of Jusiice has a page on Parental Alienation containing three Irish reports on this child abuse issue.
YES Expert witnesses must be trained in Parental alienation to to know if it is being used against a child (or not) so as to inform the Judge or TUSLA
All emotional psychological abuse must be addressed