The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, recently launched the Voice of the Child Report Guidelines and Templates as part of the continued effort to ensure children’s voices are heard and respected in private family law proceedings. The guidelines were developed by the Voice of the Child Working Group, which was established in October 2024 under the Family Justice Strategy.
The development of the guidelines arose from recommendations made by a review of expert reports in family-law cases.
A consultation process was carried out with children and young people to ensure their voices and feedback were considered in the development of the guidelines and templates.
The publication of the guidelines forms part of a broader programme of family justice reform. Alongside this work, the Department will shortly establish the Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Project in Waterford and Clonmel, which will trial a new way of supporting children to have their voices heard in private family law proceedings.
The Minister has secured €2.503 million in the Estimates for 2027 to fund the pilot project.
The Department of Justice says that they are designed to improve the child’s experience of having their voice heard in private family-law proceedings, increase confidence and understanding in the process among children, families, and practitioners, and promote consistency and high standards of practice nationwide.
Mr O’Callaghan said: “At the heart of this work is a simple but fundamental principle: what a child has to say matters. They have a right to be included and heard in family law proceedings when decisions are being made that will affect them.
“These guidelines will help ensure a consistent and high-quality approach to supporting children to express their views in family law proceedings and will strengthen our efforts to build a more child-centred family justice system.”
The guidelines are grounded in the Lundy Model of participation and emphasise that children should be provided with the opportunity to express their views in a safe, supportive and age-appropriate manner. They also recognise that while every child has the right to be heard, every child equally has the right not to express a view if they do not wish to do so.
The Minister thanked the members of the Voice of the Child Working Group and all those involved in developing the guidelines, acknowledging their expertise, commitment and collaboration in delivering an important resource for children, families, practitioners and the courts.
See below a link to the guidelines:
NB – This is a guide for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice, please contact any of the team at Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP, whose numbers can be found on our website www.nfg.ie, or email info@nfg.ie.
