Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1144. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the timeline for the rollout of the children’s court advocate pilot programme; and if children in complex custody disputes, including those where concerns of parental alienation have been raised, will be prioritised within this programme. [11602/25]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1147. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures that are in place to ensure that children involved in custody disputes have access to consistent, independent advocacy throughout the legal process; and if he will consider expanding the role of the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Project. [11606/25]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1149. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the way the €3 million allocated in Budget 2025 for family law support services will be distributed, specifically regarding improvements in professional training for legal practitioners, expansion of family law services, and the provision of supports for children affected by high-conflict custody disputes, such as that of a person (details supplied). [11608/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1144, 1147 and 1149 together.

Ireland’s first Family Justice Strategy was published in November 2022, setting out the steps needed to create a more efficient and user-friendly family justice system that puts the family and children at the centre of its work. This will be achieved through the implementation of over 50 actions across nine goals, with timelines for delivery up to the end of 2025. The actions stress the centrality of children to many family justice matters, and the need to ensure their best interests are considered in conjunction with their constitutional rights.

As part of the Strategy, a wide-ranging review into the role of expert reports in the family law process was published in June 2024, recognising the significant role expert reports play in children’s views being heard in private family law cases.

The Review sets out 20 ambitious recommendations for reform, the implementation of which will, amongst other things, promote consistency and common standards in hearing the voice of the child and safeguarding their best interests. The recommendations include:

• to produce guidelines on the commissioning, content and use of expert reports;
• establish a panel of assessors with a structure to oversee its management;
• establish the role of Children’s Court Advocate, initially on a pilot basis, to assist children in having their voice heard in family law proceedings.