Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 51:

In page 41, lines 11 to 17, to delete all words from and including ", and" in line 11 down to and including "child" in line 17.

The logic behind this amendment is to ensure all fathers are granted automatic guardianship rights at the moment of birth. This is necessary because, in some cases, cohabitation simply is not possible. Where, for example, a mother remains living with her parents , it is not always appropriate or possible for the father to live there as well. This is often the case with teenage or unplanned pregnancies, as I outlined on Second Stage. The parents not living together does not necessarily mean the father is in any way shirking his responsibilities or not stepping up to the mark. The circumstances simply may not be in favour of the couple cohabiting. We should consider, too, fathers who are obliged to work away from home, some of them abroad, to be in a financial position to support their child. We must ensure men in that position are not left out of the loop.