Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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295. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress in the implementation by her Department of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [42891/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am conscious of the importance of providing mechanisms to enable a child's views to be heard in proceedings concerning guardianship, custody and access as such proceedings have such implications for a child's life. Accordingly, the General Scheme of the Children and Family Relationships Bill provides for the court to have the possibility of appointing a child's views expert to ascertain the child's views in guardianship, custody or access proceedings. The child's views expert will have the task of ascertaining whether or not the child is capable of forming views on the matters that are the subject of the proceedings. If the child is capable of forming views on these matters, the child's views expert will have the task of reporting these views to the court.