Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This issue is quite personal to me because I had a daughter in a situation where I was not married to her mother. My daughter is now 20 years old and her mother and I, thankfully, had a very good relationship which has continued, even though we did not stay together. I can appreciate how a man might feel in such a situation. A statutory declaration has a strong sense of formality and is quite legalistic and could be a problem in a difficult relationship when having to go to court could be a fraught experience. I recognise the bona fides of the Minister, but I believe presumption of guardianship is an important concept and having to wait two years bothers me. I will withdraw the amendment with the option of reintroducing it on Report Stage. As we will have a different Government in two years, it is quite a long time to wait.