Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2004
88 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason she believes a constitutional amendment is not needed to reflect the changes in family structures and protect the rights of children. [12093/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra98 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made to date in her review of Government policy towards the family; when she expects the review to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12053/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 98 together.
As Minister with responsibility for family affairs, I am engaging in a process of discussion and consideration of all issues facing families in Ireland today. In the light of this I intend to develop a strategy for economic, employment and social policies to support families.
The institution of marriage has been and, for a majority of families with children, still is the foundation for continuity and stability in family life. Its contribution overall to the well being of individuals and more generally to social cohesion goes without saying and it is entirely appropriate that the State should, as stated in the Constitution, pledge "to guard with special care the institution of marriage". A growing proportion of marriages, however, fail with the spouses separating to live apart. The Constitution now also recognises this reality by permitting the dissolution of these marriages in certain defined circumstances and allowing those divorced to marry again under the law and set up reconstituted families. There are also growing numbers of couples living together but not entering into the legal relationship of marriage. Changing values mean that this form of family arrangement is becoming more socially acceptable.
Given the rapid changes affecting families and family life, the State is required to provide more support to assist families in difficulties than might have been the case in the past. It is my responsibility, as Minister with responsibility for family affairs, to ensure that the well being of all individuals, especially children, is safeguarded within the family and that all families, irrespective of the form they take, receive appropriate State support in meeting their caring responsibilities.
It is also possible that State policies and programmes may not be contributing as effectively as they might to strengthening families at this time of change. It was for those reasons that I embarked last year on a wide ranging public consultation process by means of regional family fora. A report on this public consultation entitled, "Families and Family Life in Ireland: Challenges for the Future", is now available from my Department. One of the points that came through from many participants at the fora was the need for the State, while guarding with special care the institution of marriage, to bear in mind also the different forms of family in developing policies to promote the well being of individual family members.
I am now urging interested groups to use the report on the public consultation process as a basis for a wider debate on the issues raised during this tenth anniversary year of the UN International Year of the Family and to forward their views to the family affairs unit of my Department. It is my intention that this consultation process will culminate in a clear, coherent and comprehensive strategy for economic, employment and social policies to support families to be issued by the end of this year. In drawing up the strategy, I will also take full account of the findings of the international conference on families, change and European social policy to be held in Dublin Castle in May, which is being hosted by the Irish EU Presidency, with the support of the EU Commission, to mark at EU level the tenth anniversary of the UN International Year of the Family. In addition, Ireland has been directly involved in an OECD study entitled, "Babies and Bosses — Reconciling Work and Family Life." The findings of this study will also be taken into account in drawing up the strategy.
If this wide ranging review of policies to support and strengthen families and family life, currently underway, were to show, when completed, that the current constitutional provisions are a barrier to the introduction of desirable and important policies to achieve these objectives for all families, then the issue of changing or further developing these provisions may have to be considered. I consider, however, that I can make a greater immediate contribution to the well being of family members, in my role as Minister with responsibility for family affairs, by concentrating on co-ordinating the development and implementation of economic, employment and social policies to strengthen families.
