Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Sometimes Eve becomes Adam, if we are to include transsexual relationships. There is an interesting argument about married couples. There is a presumption that the husband is automatically the father of his wife's child, but this may not always be the case. Some people have even suggested that husbands should also be required to declare their paternity.

I understand the dilemma faced by the Government, but I do not want section 22, which runs counter to the spirit of the universal declaration on the rights of the child, cited by a small minority of unmarried men who want to opt out of playing a full role in the lives of their children. Every child in the State, whether born in or out of wedlock, has a right to know who his or her parents are. However, it must be remembered that those parents, male and female, have the responsibility of raising the child. We have a responsibility to say that publicly, despite our reservations about this section.