Ray Kelly of the Unmarried Fathers of Ireland group said, "By appointing just one family-law court reporter, the government are putting a sticking plaster on something that needs radical surgery."

Kelly was speaking in response to the appointment of Irish Times journalist Carol Coulter by the Courts Service as its first ever family-law reporter in a one-year pilot project.

Up to now, reporting of family-law cases was prohibited in Irish courts under the 'in camera' rule. Coulter will now record family-law proceedings with a view to distribution to the media. However, she will not identify the parties involved in cases.

Ireland's leading family-law expert, Geoffrey Shannon, said, "I think that this is an important first step but we have a long way to go before the public will have confidence in the family-law courts. I think the time has come for more robust reform. While I am in the favour of maintaining the privacy of parties involved in these cases, people need a fair and transparent system of justice."

Shannon also raised concerns that a sole reporter would be restricted in the geographical area she could cover.

"Judges are given very wide discretion in dealing with these cases so I think that such discretion requires safeguards and more public scrutiny through reporting. You need reporting of family-law cases across the regions in the jurisdiction, and not just in Dublin. . .

"Everyone welcomes Carol Coulter's appointment, we just need just need more reporters in family-law courts."