Material in this file includes correspondence between those working in a professional capacity and includes correspondence between Mary Robinson (MR) and Ms Eimer Bowman in relation to a paper Bowman enclosed by Dermot Walsh on Irish abortion statistics, and an off-print of Bowman's article on single attendance at a Dublin family planning clinic 13/01/1976-01/11/1977; correspondence between MR and Elizabeth Bresnihan, Secretary ICAP [Irish Contraception Programme] in relation to the organisation being set up to launch a national campaign to change the laws on contraception in Ireland, the first activity being to launch a national petition and requesting MR be a sponsor, and with Susan Dipper, CAP asking her to speak at an event in November 25/08-04/11/1976; correspondence between MR and Bernard McGuire and Moira Jones, Ballina Family Planning Clinic Support Group in relation to invite to attend public meeting, which she was unavailable to attend, and copies of the groups appeal letter 04-08/02/1977; letter (circular?) from MR clarifying position of herself, Senator John Horgan and Labour party on whether they were proceeding with the Family Planning Bill 1974, 30/03/1977.

Material in this file includes correspondence between those working in a professional capacity and includes letter from Garret Fitzgerald, TD [Teachta Dála; member of Irish parliament] to Senator Mary Robinson (MR) referencing upcoming Bill, giving advice on what should be clearly established or included in an amendment to give Bill hope of success and finishing with "The Government must be having kittens! You have really put them on the spot!", 05/03/1971; letter from Joseph O'Malley, Editor, This Week magazine, attaching galley proof of responses to poll conducted by them relating to issues of divorce and contraception and seeking comment from MR, 16/06/1971; correspondence between MR and Dr AEB de Courcy-Wheeler in relation to motion he planned to propose at the Medical Union's AGM instructing its representatives to add their voice to those bodies endeavouring to obtain a repeal of law which prohibited sale of contraceptive devices, 18/06-19/09/1973; correspondence between MR and Joan M Wilson, Irish Family Planning Association in relation to Sub-Committee they were setting up to advise on framing resolution defining the Association's attitude towards abortion, and inviting her to sit on it 21/05-16/07/1973; correspondence between Charles McManus, Secretary, Central Branch, Fine Gael [political party] and MR in relation to meeting to discuss amendment of the laws relating to contraception which she was invited to address but could not attend 28-29/10/1973; copy of letter from MR to Michael Kilroy, Clerk Assistant of the Senate, Seanad Éireann, returning copy of the Family Planning Bill 1973, signed by her, Senator John Horgan and Senator Trevor West, and thanking Kilroy for his work, 29/10/1973; letter to MR from Justin Keating, Minister for Industry and Commerce, stating he would support Bill, 06/11/1973; letter from MR to Jack Lynch, TD which accompanied a copy of the Bill signed by her, West and Horgan and seeking his support, with reply from Lynch promising to examine it, 01-06/11/1973; correspondence between Trevor West and MR relating to amendments to Bill, which switched emphasis away from Minister for Justice and gave Minister for Health powers to regulate, and possibility of alternative Government Bill being presented, 07-12/11/1973; letter from MR to Reverend Dr Ryan, Archbishop of Dublin, which accompanied copy of Bill, and acknowledgement of receipt from his secretary, James Ardle MacMahon, 06-13/11/1973; correspondence between MR and a number of politicians seeking support for the Bill including Mr Cosgrave, Taoiseach [Irish Prime Minister], Senator Alexis Fitzgerald, Michael O'Kennedy, TD, Senator Michael O'Higgins, Brendan Corish, Tánaiste [Irish Deputy Prime Minister], Patrick Cooney, Minister for Justice, and Justin Keating, Minister for Industry and Commerce, 29/10-02/11/1973; letter to MR from James T Lonergan, Irish Family Planning Association, enclosing paper he presented at a public meeting "Amendment of Irish Laws relating to Contraception", 23/11/1973; correspondence between MR and several members of clergy in relation to the Bill including Catherine McGuinness, Assistant Secretary, Dublin Council of Churches (15/12/1971), WT McDowdell, Clerk of the Presbytery, Presbyterian Church in Ireland (06/12/1973), and Father James Good (09-11/12/1973) which referenced that MR was due to give birth before Christmas, Kenneth Milne, Joint Honorary Secretary, The General Synod, Church of Ireland (01-06/02/1974), Rev RR Davey, Director, the Corrymeela Community [composed of individuals (lay and clerical) from all the major Irish Churches] in reference to a motion of support for the Bill (04-06/2/1974), Rev AJ Weir, Presbyterian Church of Ireland, Belfast (04-08/02/1974), Michael C Taylor, Clerk, Dublin Monthly Meeting of Religious Society of Friends (15/02/1974); correspondence between MR and IPPF Europe [International Planned Parenthood Federation Europe Region] in relation to a working group they had invited her to participate in which would discuss a survey of the legal status of contraception, sterilisation and abortion in European countries, and which she had declined due to work commitments, 06/12/1973-26/02/1974; correspondence between MR and Noel Reilly, Secretary, Irish Medical Association (IMA), and David Nowlan, Medical Correspondence, The Irish Times in relation to resolution passed by IMA 22-29/01/1974; correspondence between Dr Michael Solomons and MR including papers he wrote on Family Planning 04/12/1973-21/10/1974; correspondence between Robert Cochran, Secretary, Family Planning Services, Dublin 2, and MR 05-31/01/1974 in relation to amendments he was suggesting to the Family Planning Bill, 1973; letter from Senator Alexis Fitzgerald to MR asking for copy of statement MR made dealing with criticism of the Bill, and asking for her views on the Civil Rights aspect, 05-08/02/1974; correspondence between MR and Phyllis T Piotrow, Editor, the Victor-Bostrom Fund Committee, 10/01-05/03/1974, relating to MR's work on contraception legalisation and reports from the Committee; correspondence between MR and Edgar M Deale, Honorary Secretary, Irish Association of Civil Liberty, 19/02-06/03/1974 relating to statement Association made on family planning which referenced the Bill; copy of letter sent by MR to Editor of Irish Times, commenting on delay of Minister for Justice in introducing Government Bill on Family Planning, she says "The credibility gap yawns: so, too do we all", 14/03/1974; letter from Senator Trevor West to MR commenting on Government's Bill which was as they suspected and restricted sale of contraceptives to married couples via pharmacies, 22/03/1974; letters from David Andrews, TD and Seán O'Brien, Secretary for Richard Burke, TD, Minister for Education, acknowledging receipt of copy of Family Planning Bill, 1974, 03-09/12/1974; correspondence between MR and Dr Eimer Bowman relating to paper Bowman delivered at the Annual Conference of the Psychological Society of Ireland, a copy of which she enclosed, "The Sexual Behaviour and Contraceptive Practice of Young People", 04-09/12/1975

Material in this file includes copy of Liaison, the Student union newspaper, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) [November 1976] and photocopy of slip from Customs and Excise showing 30 copies of "Planning with Discretion" and 6 copies of "Manual of Family Planning" ordered by Mark Turpin, TCD Students Representative, were detained under the Censorship of Publications Act, 09/07/1976 (possibly insert in newsletter?); photocopy of article "Sexual and Contraceptive Attitudes and Behaviour of Single Attenders at a Dublin Family Planning Clinic", Eimer Philbin Bowman, 10/01/1977; article by Mary Robinson which was sent to her by Haymarket publishing, 11/02/1977; newsletter from Contraception Action Programme, [1977/8?]; booklets and letter sent to all Irish Senators and TDs [Teachta Dála; member of Irish parliament] from Hamish Fraser on "Europe's growing awareness of the disastrous consequences of contraception", Ayrshire, United Kingdom, 20/04/1978; flyers on Catholic teaching on contraception [1978?]; flyer from the Order of the Knights of St Columbanus, Ireland from the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis [political party and their annual congress], on the Health (Family Planning) Bill 1978; SPOD [Resource Group for the Sexual Problems of the Disabled] newsletter, April 1979.

Material in this subsubseries relates to Mary Robinson's work in the area of family planning legislation and is further subdivided into Family Planning 1970s covering the Family Planning (contraception) Bill and the Health (Family Planning) Bill 1978, the Irish Government's own bill (P143/1/3/1/1), Family Planning 1980s, including material relating to updates to the Family Planning Act, and to the insertion of the 8th amendment, which was inserted in the Irish constitution following a referendum in September 1983 and which by giving the unborn child equal rights to that of the mother, effectively prohibited abortion (P143/1/3/1/2), Family Planning 1990s (P143/1/3/1/3), Parliamentary Debates (P143/1/3/1/4), Government Bills (P143/1/3/1/5), related cuttings (P143/1/3/1/6) and related thesis (P143/1/3/1/7). Material includes correspondence both from those acting in professional capacity and from members of the public, reports, minutes, articles and cuttings.

Material in this file relates to the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Bill, 1975, and the Family Home Protection Bill, 1976 and includes official unrevised reports of the Parliamentary Debates, Dáil Éireann [lower house of Irish parliament] of the Special Committee on the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Bill, 1975, 29/10/1975, 18/11/1975, 25/11/1975 and 02/12/1975, the Special Committee's report, 03/12/1975; typed copies of the Submission by Cherish [Irish Association of Single Parents] to members of Dáil Special Committee relating to the effect of the bill on Affiliation Proceedings, 197[5?]; official reports of Parliamentary Debates (including relating to the Family Home Protection Bill [the primary aim of which was to protect family from having their home sold over their heads by a vindictive spouse]) in Dáil Éireann (25, 27/05/1976) and Seanad Éireann [upper house of Irish parliament, senate] (01/07/1976); copy of lecture "Some Aspects of Family Law" by Mr Justice John Kenny, at Society of Young Solicitors 9th Joint legal seminar, Cork 22/03/1970.

For more material on the Maintenance Bill see P143/1/3/3/4.

This file consists of research material including reports, articles and handwritten notes relating to Divorce and Family Law and may be related to an all-party committee of the Oireachtas established by the parties in Government to report and recommend on the problems of the "protection of marriage under modern conditions, and of marriage breakdown, and on any legislative or constitutional action that may be required", as per copy of extract from Programme for Government, 06/1980. It includes a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Marital Breakdown prepared by a Sub-Committee of the Irish Association of Social Workers, 01/1984; draft report "Dissolution of Marriage", 198[?]; typed copy of proposals for new legislation relating to joint ownership of the family home from AIM [Action Information Motivation] Group for Family Law Reform to Minister for Justice, Michael Noonan, 198[?]; ringbound documents "Domestic Proceedings in Magistrates' Courts" 27/11/1980, and "Financial Provision on Divorce", 12/1980, Judith M. Eve, Faculty of Law, Queen's University Belfast; speech by Alan Shatter, for Law Society Conference, 11/10/1980.

This file consists of reports, articles, press releases and other research material relating to Family Law in Ireland in the 1970s as it pertained to married couples, divorce and maintenance. It includes AIM [Action Information Motivation] Group report "On the Need for Family Maintenance Legislation in Ireland", 1972; report "Deserted/Separated Wives Maintenance & Social Welfare Report", 197[?]; typed summary of talk "Illegitimacy and Law Reform", given by W[illiam] R Duncan, Lecturer in Law, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), at Cherish Conference, 20/10/1974, with notations from Mary Robinson (MR); ring-bound booklet "Statement on Family Law Reform", The Council for Social Welfare, A Committee of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, 197[?]; typed contribution by MR at Symposium on Divorce, Law Society, University College Galway, 01/03/1976; Submission by Irishwoman United to the Law Reform Commission on the Law of Domicile, 18/03/1976; booklet "The Law of Nullity in Ireland", Office of the Attorney General, 08/1976; "Barred", report on a survey into the operation of section 22 of the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses & Children Act, 1976), Coolock Community Law Centre; typed copy "Illegitimacy in Irish Law", a summary of contribution by MR to inaugural meeting of Solicitors' Apprentices Debating Society, Four Courts, Dublin, 28/01/1977;photocopy of consultative document "The Reform of Family Law in Northern Ireland", Office of Law Reform, Stormont, Belfast, 03/1977, with press release from the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland, 13/04/1977 and cover letter to MR from Bronagh Hinds, Combat Poverty, [National Committee on Pilot Schemes to Combat Poverty], Dublin, 11/05/1978; "Family Problems - a commentary on the implementation in Northern Ireland of the recommendations of the Finer Report on One Parent Families and of the report of the Select committee on Violence in Marriage, Inter-Departmental Committee on Family Problems, 08/1977; "Divorce Law Reform in Northern Ireland Matrimonial Causes (N.I.) Order, 1978", text of addresses delivered at conference in Queen's University Belfast, 08/02/1978 by Professor PM Bromley, Bernard Passingham and Barry Malcolm; photocopy of typed paper "Supporting The Institution of Marriage In Ireland", William R Duncan, TCD, Third World Conference of the International Society on Family Law, Uppsala, Sweden, 06/06/1979; copy of typed constitution for Family Lawyers' Association, 197[?]; photocopy of Dublin corporation policy on and assistance for Pre-School Playgroups, 19[7?]; photocopies of article by Laurence Brannigan on the Succession Act, 1965 ["An Act to reform the law relating to succession to the property of deceased persons"], 19[7?].

Material relating to launch of pamphlet on Foreign Divorce, by AIM Group for Family Law Reform, including summary of speech made by Mary Robinson (MR), cuttings and correspondence from Trisha McKay, Administrator, 30/04-16/05/1990; material relating to the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers annual meeting, Dublin, 05-09/09/1990 including schedule, summary of address given by Professor William Duncan, and letter of invite to MR to chair a panel from Catherine [?] 30/08/1990.

This folder consists of pamphlets, brochures and booklets including a booklet on Family violence published by Women's Aid, 1981; photocopy of newsletter for Family Law Reform Group, 01/1983 and campaign material both for and against the Divorce Referendum, 1986.

Material in this subseries relates to Mary Robinson's work in the area of family law and is further subdivided into five subsubseries and one file: Family Planning (P143/1/3/1), Women and Equality (P143/1/3/2), Child Welfare (P143/1/3/3), Divorce (P143/1/3/4), Discrimination in Civil Service Pension Schemes (P143/1/3/5) and Family Law - Acts/Judgements (P143/1/3/6). It includes of correspondence, reports, minutes, articles, cuttings and Government Bills.