Call for law to ensure rights of single dads

Groups supporting unmarried parents have called for urgent reform of the law on the guardianship rights of single fathers.

The calls follow the tragic case of a catastrophically brain-damaged baby whose mother died shortly after giving birth and whose father had to seek court intervention to allow him give consent for the withdrawal of his child’s life support.

Eamonn Quinn of the Unmarried and Separated Parents of Ireland said law reform to grant automatic guardianship rights to unmarried fathers from their baby’s birth is long overdue.