Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 22, line 16, to delete "The father of a child" and substitute "A man".

I thank the Minister for helping me to understand the rights of alleged and unmarried fathers in the context of this section. On Committee Stage she clarified the matter very eloquently as follows. A father in Irish law is presumed to be a father if he is married to a mother and they have a child. However, he is not presumed to be a father outside wedlock unless he can prove he is the father or if the unmarried mother accepts it. Does the Minister agree?