# fathers
All time
# Maternity
'Another case of it's only women so who bloody cares': Hundreds complain to minister about maternity restrictions
Correspondence sent to the health minister reveals emotional pleas for the restrictions to be lifted.
# Irish fathers
13 things every Irish father knows to be true (and won't hear any different)
You don’t know you’re born, for one.
# ENCOURAGING
Almost 30,000 fathers have taken paternity benefit since it was introduced
Self-employed fathers, parents adopting a child and same-sex couples are eligible to apply.
# Newborns
More than 27,000 fathers have taken paternity leave so far
“We have to take a wider societal view and not think of rearing children as something best done in one’s spare time, preferably by women,” Deirdre Clune said.
# Social Protection
County breakdown: 10,640 fathers have taken paternity leave since September
Dublin had the highest number of recipients, while Leitrim had the lowest.
# Newborns
7,000 fathers have taken paid paternity leave since it was introduced
The initiative allows fathers to take two weeks off work to help care for their babies, if they have enough PRSI contributions.
# new arrival
Dads get a paternity leave boost for Father's Day
Tomorrow will see the publication of the Paternity Bill, a first for Ireland.
Voices
Fathers have rights and they just got a lot stronger this year
There’s been a radical overhaul of father’s rights in areas of access, custody and guardianship.
# Help
'I've been punched, kicked, scratched - if I stay I'll be killed': Stories of Ireland's abused men
More than 2,000 men each year contact a service for male victims of domestic abuse in Ireland.
# Pass the tissues
'Dad, I hope to be half the man you are' - Touching messages from Irish soldiers overseas
They’re missing their dads today – and their own children.
# Monkey Business
These male monkeys like hanging out with the lads
Scientists have observed the behaviour in the rhesus macaque species.
Voices
The rights of unmarried fathers are being changed – but is it enough?
Unmarried fathers in Ireland need greater clarity when it comes to their rights
Voices
Stay at Home Dads: I was put through things a mother would never face to get custody
I went through a long stressful time in the Family Law Courts trying in vain to get custody of of my children – but it was worth it.
Voices
Stay at Home Dads: 'For now, this is my career. My daughter is my priority.'
As for the future, I will go back to work, in my own time. I feel the pressure of not having a “career” right now.
Voices
Opinion: An apology on Father’s Day (or oops! I did it again!)
Mums, let us take a vow to truly appreciate every father’s parenting style.
# Missing You
'I will be home soon, son': Irish soldiers stationed abroad mark Father's Day
Members of the Defence Forces who are serving in Syria, Lebanon and Mali have sent messages home to their families.
Voices
Opinion: Where does fatherhood feature in story of mother-and-baby homes?
Interestingly, in all the coverage about mother-and-baby homes over the past few weeks, the role of the fathers hasn’t been addressed to any extent.
# sponsored
WATCH: Here's what Irish dads mean to their children
What makes a good father – and how will you let him know tomorrow?
# daaaad
8 pieces of proof that Dad jokes are the absolute best
Ah, c’mere, go ‘way, wait til I tell you.
Voices
Column: Motherhood, guilt and the fantasy of 'choice'
Guilt may not be the defining emotion of motherhood but it is certainly one of the most consistent, writes Emily Hourican.
Voices
Column: The 'Mammy Wars' – do we judge each others' choices?
Andrea Mara writes: there are no universal truths about the different circumstances mothers find themselves in … and aren’t we all too busy, anyway, to have time to judge one another?
Voices
Column: Radical change on the way for (some) unmarried fathers
A groundbreaking new Bill could modernise family and child law to cater for the growing number of families whose needs are not adequately addressed in current law, writes Margot Doherty.
Voices
Column: Think playdates are all fun and games? Think again.
Playdates are basically the office parties of kid-land: the stakes are higher than they seem and opting out is harder than you think, writes Emily Hourican.
Voices
Column: Yes, I leave work on time – that doesn't mean I don't work hard
Employers need to ensure they’re not discriminating against working parents that are organised enough to leave at 5 o’clock – judge the output, not the hours, writes Andrea Mara.
# One Parent Family
Shared parenting "penalised" as single parents receive 2014 tax credit certs
Tax credits for single parents are now only available to one parent regardless of custody arrangements.
# Domestic Abuse
Abused husband was 'knocked out' and had knife 'lunged' at him
One man told TheJournal.ie of years of abuse and of how he will be forced to spend this Christmas away from his youngest daughter.
# intersex
Germany to allow new babies be neither male nor female
Parents now have the choice to leave the gender entry blank on birth certs but intersex groups are pushing for a third gender option to be included.
# Growing up in Ireland
Growing up in Ireland: Latest study findings show huge impact of recession on families
The long-term study focusing on childhood found a significant increase in the number of parents going through financial problems between 2008 and 2011.
Voices
Column: Fathers, appreciate time with your kids before they grow up
Parenting isn’t always easy but don’t forget to savour the time you have with your children when you have the chance, writes Adrian Millar.
Voices
Column: Are political families healthy for democracy?
Name recognition surely benefits politically candidacy both here and abroad, but it shouldn’t just be the Kennys, McEntees or the Clintons that are getting involved in the politics of shaping nations – we all should be, writes Larry Donnelly.
# Testosterone
Dads not so tough after all: testosterone drops when fathers with children
Fathers more responsive to children than previously thought.
# age matters
Children of older fathers have increased chances of autism, schizophrenia
A study shows a 70-year-old man will pass on eight times as many genetic mutations to his child than a 20-year-old.
Voices
Column: How to make parental leave work for dads in Ireland too
Journalist Philip O’Connor says the system of parental leave in Sweden, where he lives, benefits children, parents and the unemployed – and it is ideal for recessionary Ireland.
Voices
Column: Men need to help with gender equality - but it's good for them too
Ireland has a huge way to go in terms of gender equality but the onus is on men to do something about it, says Plan Ireland CEO David Dalton.
# Child Development
Arguing parents could harm children's sleep patterns
Parents who row could affect the sleeping patterns of their infants for significant periods of time, new research has suggested.
# Parenting
Irish mothers want more 'me' time
While survey shows that 8 out of 10 women believe their partner is their greatest support in childcare, many say they get less than one hour a day to themselves.
