Father who denies hitting daughter, 5, allowed see her for Christmas

The couple are estranged and on the question of the father's court-ordered access, the mother told the court: “I would prefer that it didn’t happen.” 

A judge has ordered that a father, currently under Garda investigation for allegedly hitting his five-year-old daughter in the face, can see her for Christmas.

At the Family Law Court in Ennis, Judge Mary Larkin ordered that the man be allowed to see his daughter to be able to give her a Christmas present on Christmas Eve during a three-hour access at a hotel in spite of the girl's mother’s objections.