Legislation to remove guardianship rights from convicted killers will go before the Cabinet this morning.
The so-called Valerie’s Law would remove rights to guardianship from someone convicted of killing another parent or guardian of a child.
The draft law would require an application to the District Court for removal of guardianship within six months of a conviction.
The law is named after 41 year old mother-of-three Valerie French.
She was killed by her husband, James Kilroy, at their home in Westport in June 2019.
Following her death Ms. French’s three children were found by Gardaí in their rural home, hungry and “very dehydrated”.
At present, the law states that people who kill their partners or ex-partners fully retain guardianship of any shared children.
Minister Jim O’Callaghan has stated that the introduction of this legislation is a key priority of his.
