It will be raised in a damning report that highlights the government's failure to act on key recommendations laid out by the UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child.

"The unmarried father has neither an automatic right to day-today care of his child, nor has he an automatic right to have a say in the upbringing of his child, " explained leading family law expert, solicitor Geoffrey Shannon.

"No matter how lengthy the relationship, our law tends to regard the unmarried father as a legal stranger vis a vis his child.

"We need to bring our laws into line with our international obligations before we are yet again brought before the European Court of Human Rights on this issue."

Minister for Children Brian Lenihan is due to be questioned by the UN committee on 20 September about the Irish government's performance in the area of children's rights over the past five years.

Lenihan told the Sunday Tribune, "The written submissions from various interest groups have already been completed and I will address any issues that arise from these in Geneva next month."

A report into the government's performance has been prepared by Emily Logan, Ombudsman for Children, for the UN committee and it deals with issues such as children's rights under the constitution, and the powers of investigation which apply to children in garda custody and prison.

The Sunday Tribune has learned that a delegation of members of the Unmarried Fathers of Ireland group will also travel to Geneva to mount a public protest against the Irish government's treatment of them.

Ray Kelly, national director of the Unmarried Fathers of Ireland group, said, "We hope to embarrass the Irish government by protesting in Geneva about the punishment they have given Irish fathers over this.

"We need a system of national registration for unmarried fathers to give them recognistion. One-in-three children are born outside wedlock in Ireland and they are being deprived of their right to be loved and cared for by both parents."