The majority of parents involved in childcare cases in the courts are single or separated and parenting alone, while almost one in three children involved has special needs.

Ireland’s foreign adoption system that permits so-called ‘development aid’ be paid by prospective parents to authorities in a child’s country of origin was slated yesterday by an international consultant on child protection policy who contrasted that approach with Swedish law that absolutely prohibits it.

Philomena Lee, whose life story inspired the Oscar-nominated film, Philomena, will be one of the main speakers at a two-day adoption conference in UCC on September 4 and 5.

Philomena Lee will be among the speakers at a two-day international conference in UCC next month.

Two senior public office-holders have expressed concern about the high number of separating parents who have no legal representation when they appear in court on family law matters.

Cyberbullying and posting fake or misleading details on social media need to be examined with a view to updating harassment law, the Law Reform Commission has said.

A review by the Law Reform Commission of the current legislation regarding bail and harassment in cases of domestic violence is to recommend that the law is retained.

Court proceedings in which children are taken into the care of the HSE are to be published for the first time on a new website.

THOUSANDS of children in foster care cannot be legally adopted and are denied a chance of enjoying a “second family” because they have no specific rights of their own, it emerged yesterday.

CHILDREN have no voice in the majority of court cases because the Government has failed to implement a law passed five years ago, a family law expert said yesterday.

THE ears of one divorced man must be ringing today with the words of actor Danny DeVito warning a husband not to pursue a divorce in the movie War of the Roses.