The Minister commented that it was a
terrific achievement in light of the fact that that USFI has
received little or no funding from any of the government bodies and
said that his Dept would do everything they could to help. The
Minister also said he was amazed at the number of women that were
present on the day and was surprised to here from one girl of the
help and support she had received from USFI.
USFI run two support groups in
Dublin. On Monday nights in Smyths of Fairview, opposite Fairview
Park at 8.00pm and at the Head office in St. Aengus Community Centre
on Tuesday nights also at 8.00pm. All are welcome, men and women, as
USFI offer a range of options for couples when the separate. For
more information please call Dave Carroll on 01 4514200.
Monday, 2 Feb 04, Candlemas day,
Dublin, Ireland: Ms Judge O'Reilly issued a body blow to Fathers and
extended families this Candlemas day by jailing a Father in a plea
to see his children. In his petition to see his children, the Judge
refused to deal with the "Continuous breach of Access orders" by the
Mother and instead said that she would deal with the alleged breach
of "Financial matters" by the Father, instead. Tony pleaded his
inability to fully pay the maintenance order and requested the Judge
to review his financial situation. He had paid maintenance up to
date.
Tony told Ms Judge Reilly "that due
to laws that discriminate against Fathers and their children, I am
taking a stand for all Fathers and their children's' rights in
Ireland". From six o' clock this evening Tony has taken the extreme
measure of refusing all food for the duration of his stay in
Mountjoy prison.
Fathers civil rights group, USFI,
will stage a protest, to support Tony and his family, this Tuesday
morning outside Mountjoy prison. USFI will be mounting a vigil
outside Mountjoy calling on the Prison to have Tony released
immediately. Ray Kelly, founder of USFI, demanded that "The laws
must change before any more dads have to resort to desperate acts in
their plight of being separated from their children. These scrooge
laws, he said, must change. It is no longer acceptable that when a
relationship breaks down that the children are removed from their
dads, their grandparents and other close family members. Anyone
sitting at home with their loved ones will fail to see how how this
self-employed dad can contribute in a meaningful way from a cell,
which is, after all, a punishment for criminals, and not for dads
who love their kids"
In a response to a recent RTE
Primetime investigation on the comments made by Supreme court
Justice Ronan Keane, "The absence of Fathers in many families is
contributing to the rise of crime and lawlessness", Irish Times
Journalist John Waters said that "Justice Keane was courageous to
come out with his interview on Fathers but I wish it were sooner.
The Irish Family law system foists Fatherlessness on an industrial
basis and causes wholesale damage to families".
In an online survey conducted by
dads-house, 86% of respondents said their children have had little
or no access to their dads in the past 2 years, 62% said that their
ex partner had repeatedly violated court orders with impunity and
more than 74% saying that their ex partner engaged in tactics that
alienated the children from their dads.
USFI and several other European
Fathers Civil rights groups plan more protests throughout Ireland in
2004 to coincide with Ireland's presidency of the EU. Several legal
strategic initiatives in Ireland and the EU are also planned by the
groups.
Contacts:
Frank Duffy, 087 6527 300
Dave Whyte, Chairperson, 086 261
2400
Ray Kelly, Founder, 086 887
9444
email: info@dads-house.com
source:
http://www.dads-house.com/
Vote:
http://dads-house.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=121
Thursday 5
Feb 04, Mountjoy prison, Dublin, Ireland.
Tony Hamilton, the jailed Father of 2
children, aged 12 and 7, continues his hunger strike in Mountjoy
prison today. Tony has been in jail since Monday 2 Feb 04 after a
failed petition for Access violations by his estranged wife and was
jailed for 60 days because he fell behind in his maintenance
payments.
Photo:
http://www.dads-house.com/data/freetony05jan04.jpg
Speaking on the Hook programme
(Newstalk 106FM with George Hook) this week, USFI Chairperson, David
Whyte said "This man is not a criminal but will have to serve the
sixty days whilst actual criminals will be let out on the revolving
door system." USFI have been holding a vigil outside the jail. Other
groups across the country pledged support with members travelling
from Limerick, Cork, Mayo and Kerry this weekend to support the
protest outside Mountjoy.
John Lonergan, the Governor of
Mountjoy was asked by the Hook in an interview how he felt about the
protest. He said "he could understand why we were protesting, that
Tony will be looked after, and he confirmed that he was on hunger
strike." The Deputy Governor later confirmed with USFI "that all the
prison staff supported the Campaign and Tony and the reason he had
to shut the gates was to stop up to 20 prison wardens coming out to
stand with the protestors." It later transpired that in an effort to
have Tony come off the hunger strike, all privileges, including
visitor access, have been removed.
When USFI requested the Minister for
Justice "to release Tony forthwith", they were told "that they could
not deal with the matter once a committal sentence was passed down
and that they were inundated with calls from all over the country in
relation to the matter"
His story is a typical one. Tony was
not being paid by his customers and as a consequence fell behind
with his maintenance payments. In court he offered a lump sum and
then pay the rest over a short period of time to pay for the
arrears. The Judge would not agree to this and told him that if he
did not have the money he was going to prison for 60 days. There was
a recess but Tony could not come up with full amount. Access
violation by the Mother was also an issue. Tony's only access is on
a Saturday. His daughters' communion falls this year on a Saturday,
the Mother was denying him access on that day. The Judge fully
concurred and in so doing was breaking another Judges court
order.
"If your relationship breaks down in
this country, and you are a man, your children are taken away from
you" said Ray Kelly in an interview "Now, it seems that you get
thrown in Jail, too. It makes no sense for Tony to be in Jail and we
now urge the Judiciary to take a hard look at this family law
system, which, as others before me have said, is depriving children
of their Fathers on a wholesale and industrial basis. We would also
ask them to take heed of the statement made by Supreme court Justice
Keane that "Fatherless homes are to blame for crime" in a Sunday
Tribune FrontPage interview. See
http://dads-house.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=77
Pat O' Donovan (spokesperson for
USFI) spent several hours today with Tony and said afterwards in an
interview "that Tony is totally distraught, fearing that his
business will founder and feeling that his life has been wrecked.
This man is not a criminal, he loves his children, he is sorry that
he couldn't keep up his maintenance payments but is prepared and has
offered to make amends."
USFI are grateful for the many phone
calls from women's groups supporting the campaign to have him
released.
USFI Contacts
Pat O' Donovan, Spokesperson, +353 87
935 7571
Dave Whyte, Chairperson, +353 86 261 2400 Ray Kelly,
Founder, +353 86 887 944
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