The Grish Family: The Development Of Irish Family Policy

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In this essay the author will discuss the development of Irish family policy. It will be looked at from the 1998 publication of the report ‘’strengthening families for life’’. A definition of the family will also be given. It will also make the reader more aware of what family is and the different types of families there are in today’s society. It will look at the changes and challenges for the future of the family and also relationship difficulties. Family policy will be defined and what the effects of it are. This essay aims to give the reader a better insight into the recent developments in Irish family policy. In today’s society a family is considered to be a group of two or even more that can be linked by blood, adoption, step or fostering, marriage and who generally live together in the same home. This also takes account of couples just married without children, single mothers or fathers with children, gay partners, couples with dependants, siblings living together and several other types. One person in the family must be over the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). Traditionally a family was considered to be a support group consisting of two married individuals providing support, care and stability for their biological children. This was known as a nuclear family. However, in recent years these two parent families have become rarer. Families such as blended and adoptive have become increasingly popular. The extended family consists of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. In some families the extended family might cohabitate with a member of a nuclear family. This type of family is now becoming increasingly more uncommon. More popular types have become to merge recently. Families such as, blended, gay pa... ... middle of paper ... ...ly.ie/policy-campaigns/facts-figures/ [accessed 20 April 2014]. Family life (2013). Healthy children.org [online], available: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/types-of-families/Pages/Gay-and-Lesbian-Parents.aspx [accessed 20 April 2014]. Family Structure (n.d.) boundless [online], available: https://www.boundless.com/sociology/definition/family-structure/ [accessed 20 April 2014]. Social security investing in human capital (n.d.) international social security association [online], available: http://www.issa.int/ [accessed 20 April 2014]. The free dictionary by farlex (2003) one parent families [online], available: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/one-parent+family [accessed 20 April 2014]. TV3 (2013) 'Blended families' advice [online], available: https://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am_article.php?article=103081 [accessed 20 April 2014].

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