Veil of secrecy over family law courts

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese spoke recently in Athy, Co Kildare, at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of Cluan Mhuire, the addiction recovery centre founded by Sr Consilio.

The President rightly expressed her concern at the level of alcohol consumption in this country. She pointed out how the consequences can be “found in our hospital A&E departments, in the family law courts, on the dole queues and in the morgues”. I share her concern and she is to be congratulated on highlighting this problem. But one question remains — how did she manage to find out anything about events within the Irish family law courts?

Such is the veil of secrecy surrounding these establishments I thought not even the President would have access to this kind of information.