‘This is a death here, this is a living death’

A GROUP of 50 men dressed as Santa took to the streets of Dublin yesterday to highlight the treatment of fathers in the family law courts.

Ray Kelly, a member of the Unmarried and Separated Fathers of Ireland group, said there was no proper policing of court orders granting access to children, leaving many fathers out in the cold this Christmas.

Outside the Four Courts in Dublin, he said mothers were favoured unfairly due to major inequalities in the Irish family law system.

The group called for the Government to move to change the current system.

“It is so sad, you would nearly want to go to the darkest part of hell and see when a father is in his sitting room and praying he will get the opportunity of giving his presents to his children,” Mr Kelly said.

“This is a death here, this is a living death.”

Mr Kelly said the protest was organised to show people the problems many unmarried men and separated fathers face trying to get access to their children despite court orders.

“Today’s protest is to show the difficulties and the problems of the family law courts and the inadequacy that is happening in the family law courts. Today is about children,” he said.

“A lot of children, fathers and grandparents will be suffering this Christmas,” he said, adding that a system must be brought in to police family law courts.

“If someone breaks a court order, what can you do on a Saturday or Sunday? You go to the police and they tell you to go back to court,” he said, adding that by the time the case had come up, the festive season was long gone.

Some of the banners carried by the groups as they moved from the capital’s main court building down the boardwalk by the River Liffey, included ‘Put the father back into Christmas’ and ‘A Dad is for life and not just for Saturdays’.

One man who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had only seen his children briefly over the past year although he was meant to see them every second weekend for two days.

Mr Kelly said Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan had moved to ensure fathers must be financially responsible for their children but the Government must also ensure their rights to access are upheld.

The fathers’ rights group has claimed constitutional reform is well overdue to create a protective and fair judicial system.

It is campaigning for changes to existing legislation on family law, and to the structure and behaviour of the legal profession and judiciary.

Mr Kelly said the group was also seeking specific training for the legal profession in relation to family law cases.

“The whole attitude of the family law courts, and the whole system is letting us down,” he said.

“Judges should be trained to discuss families.”