Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Section 1 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 provides for the commencement of different Parts of the Act by different Ministers, because the Act addresses policy responsibilities of several different Ministers. As the Deputy may recall, Minister Varadkar and I jointly committed that the provisions of Parts 2 and 3 of the Bill would not commence for a minimum of one year from its enactment, to ensure that the treatment of persons currently undertaking fertility treatment would not be affected.

Preparations for commencement of the Parts of the Children and Family Relationships Bill which are within my policy responsibility are at an advanced stage, and I expect to be in a position to commence significant portions of it shortly. This will include in particular the changes to the legal regime governing guardianship and custody of and access to children, best interests of the child, and the maintenance code.