Sir, - May I compliment Mary Banotti on her excellent article in your edition of November 16th. The article is not only informative but very timely. With an increasing number of marital and non-marital family units breaking down, a spiralling number of children are being affected by the terrible trauma of separation. This problem is now a common feature of Irish life, whether we like to admit it or not.
While our Constitution and our moral and political leaders claim to protect and vindicate the rights of the family, little practical recognition or support was given to the numerous individuals trapped in a dysfunctional family. Instead, as a nation we preferred to deny the existence of the problem. It is only in recent years, through the courage of a few exceptional individuals, that the terrible scandals within the so called "happy Irish family" have been brought to light. These brave people are the real heroes of modern Ireland.
As a solicitor, I see daily the woeful inadequacy of the entire legal system in dealing with family breakdown. The failure of our society and politicians to come to terms with the fact of family breakdown is shown in the disgraceful conditions in most district courts in the land. So many courthouses have no facilities whatsoever for the unfortunate people forced to resort to them. Frequently clients have to stand on the street in full view of the public and in the company of common criminals to await "justice".
Courts, because of the volumes of ordinary work, are presently required in a few minutes to decide the fate of individuals with a lifetime of complex family problems. Lawyers and judges in general are inadequately trained and have insufficient resources and back-up to deal with the emotional traumas being suffered by people in family breakdowns.
The court system itself is confrontational by nature and is guaranteed to drive a final wedge in the coffin of the broken family.
Special family courts need to be set up which will allow adequate time for full investigation of the problems of the parties. Greater resources need to be put into training lawyers and judges. More trained personnel, such as psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, need to be available to the courts to assist in dealing with all the facts of each individual more humanely and sympathetically. - Yours, etc., Brendan F. Hyland,
Castle Street, Roscrea, Co Tipperary.