The Iona Institute has just launched a new report showing that a huge marriage gap exists in Northern Ireland (as in the South) between the most advantaged and disadvantaged groups in society. Those in the upper income groups are twice as likely to be married as those in the bottom income groups. This gap is...
Under the Irish tax code, a married couple on one income can pay thousands more in tax each year compared with a double-income married couple earning the same amount. For example, a single-income married couple on €65,600 per annum, will pay more than €12,000 in tax while a double-income married couple also earning €65,600 will...
New Census data shows that the married family continues its decline in Irish life. While it is still by the easily the predominant type of family overall, its dominance has declined with the rise of cohabiting couples, divorce and separation, and single-parent households. Yesterday, the CSO released the Households and Family data from Census 2016....
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court on a polygamous marriage means that exclusivity is no longer considered an essential element in marriage. So, marriage does not have to be exclusive under the new legal dispensation, it does not have to be the conjugal union of a man and a woman, it cannot be legally...
A briefing note from The Iona Institute sets out what child-care choices the public really want to make. Only a small minority (17pc) want to place young children in day-care, 49pc want to mind their young children at home, while 27pc want another family member to look after their children during the working day. Yet,...
According to reports in the papers, in years to come it may be possible for scientists to create babies that will literally have no biological mothers. David Quinn discussed the ethical implications of this on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk on Friday. The item can be heard here. (Drag the bar at the top...
Press Release from the Iona Institute Plan for subsidised childcare is inherently unfair and unjust State must support choices of all parents not just day-care September 16, 2016– Reports that the State is considering a “radical new plan for subsidising childcare” are extremely concerning because if the State goes down this path, then it will...
A recent paper from The Iona Institute shows that families today are massively penalised by the tax system compared with families in the past.
‘Mind the Gap’, a new report from The Iona Institute, shows how a person’s chances of marrying are hugely affected by the social class they are born into. The report shows that upper professional workers are more than twice as likely as unskilled workers to be married. The huge discrepancy shows that there are formidable...
If we pass the marriage referendum as the Government wants, it will have profound changes on how we view the family in our law. A major legal opinion commissioned by The Iona Institute examines this question. It shows that our ability to give preference to motherhood and fatherhood in Irish law will be severely and...
