Ireland: New Family Bill will do nothing for the rights of fathers

Letter here. Excerpt:

'The fact the Bill proposes extending guardianship to non-marital fathers who have lived with the mother of the child for at least 12 months - including at least three months after the child's birth - is being heralded as a major improvement in the legal position of fathers.

However, looked at in the context of the Bill as a whole, fathers could be even more marginalised by this legislation. What about fathers who don't meet, or cannot prove they meet, the co-habitation requirement? Such fathers will be faced with the possibility (probability?) of a variety of individuals, some of whom have no biological link to the child, taking their place as joint guardians with the mothers.

In this regard it should be noted that a child can only have two guardians, hence such fathers will be denied guardianship forever if another person is appointed in their stead.

This Bill is an abominable deceit being perpetrated on a group of people who continue to be treated as less than human by the laws of this State.'