‘Fathers must be more involved in children’s lives’

FATHERS must get more involved in the lives of their children, Education Minister Mary Hanafin urged yesterday.

She was speaking at the Patrick MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, where four members of the county’s youth council had outlined the kind of country they want in 2030.

Ms Hanafin said more and more young people talk about their fathers not playing a part in their upbringing but this needs to change.

“We still have whole swathes of children who don’t have a father figure in their lives. Men have to realise they have a lot to contribute and they need to start playing a full role,” she said.

“There are many fathers who are excluding themselves but as we go forward, children should have the support of their fathers.”

The minister said she was speaking from her experiences at constituency clinics and in consultations she co-ordinated for the National Children’s Strategy when she was Children’s Minister.

“It’s not just about being the McDonald’s Daddy, it’s about giving emotional support and being there. In some cases, a lone mother may be excluding the child’s father but sometimes it is the men who exclude themselves,” she said.

Ms Hanafin also urged more integration of immigrants in our increasingly multicultural society. She said she knows of a Co Dublin school where just 11 pupils among two classes starting junior infants in September will be Irish.

“Multiculturalism and integration is happening in our schools, children have been welcoming and we see international flags in the classrooms,” she said. But she said she wonders how many immigrant children are being invited to birthday parties, and how many of their parents are getting involved in parent groups.