Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

As a member of the Constitutional Convention, I was somewhat disappointed that the Government sought to push the presidential age issue ahead of other issues that, in my opinion, are far more core, including issues of economic, social and cultural rights and, in particular, the right to a home. Within that context and in the context of the rights of children, it was recently brought to my attention that in the case of child custody, including shared custody situations, the second parent is not entitled to rent supplement. This means that one parent - usually the father - is being put in the position of not being able to appropriately parent the child and to the child not having the opportunity of being parented by both parents, which matter is fundamental to the rights of children. It is unfortunate that, having gotten through the legal situation of the challenge to the constitutional referendum on the rights of children, we now find ourselves in the situation, in an improving economy, of children being deprived, in my opinion, of the right to be parented by both parents. This is a matter on which we need to have a debate with the Minister for Social Protection who has overall responsibility in this area.