Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reform family law to ensure equal status and protections for children being raised by lesbian or gay parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46206/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have signalled my intentions to bring legislative proposals to Government as soon as possible in the form of a General Scheme of a Family Relationships and Children Bill. The focus of the Scheme will be on reforming and modernising certain aspects of family law, as provided for in the Agreed Programme for Government, and, in particular, ensuring that children are treated equally irrespective of the marital status of their parents. My proposals will be to ensure, in the best interests of children, that our legal system can recognise and secure the relationship of a person who has a parental role in a child's life but is not the biological or adoptive parent of the child concerned.