Oh, I totally agree re the writers not knowing what they are doing if Ianto's family isn't dead! Well, I recently read a fic where Ianto's mom is still alive at a psychiatric instituiton, but has been totally non-responsive for many many years and might as well be dead except her body is still breathing. And that *could* work if it was canon, sort of, but yeah, if it turns out any of Ianto's immediate family is still alive, I'm going to demand the writers be lined up and shot.

Oh, btw, not immediately related to Jack/Ianto, but Ianto = only child, or could he have had siblings? If so, oldest, youngest, or middle?