MOTIONS FOR THE ANNUAL CONVENTION 2008

shawboss

can anyone tell me if this has gone true the dail or any info on this mather thanks







Motions 10 and 11 to be taken together
Fathers’ Rights
Motion 10 from the Equality Policy Group
In the context of Children's rights the GP/CG moves that natural/unmarried fathers should have equal guardianship of and reasonable access to their children. Relating to custody there should be automatic rights and obligations of the natural father where the child has lost the society of its mother. Further in the context of children's rights that in the event of marital breakdown and/or separation GP/CG moves that existing joint custody rights be maintained
Motion 11 from Meath Greens
Following on from our party’s strong advocacy for legal recognition of relationships outside of the traditional nuclear family unit, Convention urges our government representatives to address at cabinet, the issue of the lack of legal protection for biological fathers of a child/children, when said father does not have a legalised relationship with the mother of said child/children.
It should be recognised that fathers in this situation are in a very weak and vulnerable position as regards consistent and regular access to their child/children and that the lack of legislation/constitutional articles in this respect only exacerbates this situation.
Further to this, Convention believes that the adversarial court system is not suited to family law, as it is based on a premise of encouraging hostility between the parties involved. This point should be accepted in any new legal provisions and the focus in access disputes should be on mediation and dialogue between the parties involved, on arrangements/settlements that are fair to all involved.