One Family calls for the amendment of the Constitution on International Day of the Family

15 May 2008

THE Constitution should be amended when it comes to the definition of the modern Irish family, according to One Family.

The national support organisation for lone- parent families said the constitutional definition of the family is outdated and out of step with reality and should be changed.

The Constitution currently defines a family as that headed by a married couple only.

However, there is a wide range of families in modern-day Ireland, which include those headed by single or unmarried mothers and fathers, gay and lesbian parents, grand-parents and other family members as well as the traditional nuclear family, according to One Family Director Karen Kiernan.

According to the 2006 census, one in eight people live in one-parent families.

The call for constitutional change comes as the UN celebrates International Day of the Family today to recognise the rights of families.

Allison Bray, Independent.ie