A leading contender for the leadership of the Labour Party has said that the party looked “ridiculous” for creating a culture which marginalised Christians. Andy Burnham, the current Shadow Health Secretary, said his party should say sorry for allowing a culture to develop which saw nurses being attacked for wearing a cross. However he also...
The Argentinian Senate, just days after an influential committee rejected the proposal, has voted to legalise same-sex marriages despite opposition by huge numbers of Argentinians. The act makes Argentina the first Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriage. The proposal was firmly backed by President Cristina Fernandez, and had been approved by Argentina’s lower house...
Children who were being abused by their foster parents for years, were forced to remain with them, despite the fact that social services were made aware of the situation by members of the public and teachers, according to a report published yesterday. The two children who were in different foster families were only rescued after...
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern (pictured) has said that the passage of the Civil Partnership Bill was the mark of a Christian society. Speaking at the launch of the publication by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) of the Seanad debates on the Bill, Mr Ahern said that the passage of the legislation was...
The Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan has repeated her call for the Government to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution to insert a children’s rights clause. Launching her fifth annual report yesterday, Ms Logan said that “gaps in law, policy and practice mean that some children remain vulnerable and are not receiving the full...
A Federal judge in Massachusettes has struck down the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA). The decision is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The Act defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman for the purposes of federal law, and was passed in 1996, by overwhelming votes in both the...
Parental style can have a major impact on whether children engaged in binge drinking, according to a new report. A survey of over 5,000 young people between 12 and 19 found those with “authoritative” parents, who knew their children’s whereabouts and showed warmth and support, were least likely to drink large quantities of alcohol. Stephen...
Motions in support of same-sex marriage, the secularisation of State-sponsored schools and transsexual rights were defeated last weekend by the youth wing of Fine Gael. At a summer school of Young Fine Gael (YFG) held in Waterford, the Dublin South West and MUI Maynooth branches sponsored a motion which read: “This Summer School supports the...
An Argentinian Senate committee yesterday rejected a same-sex marriage bill backed by the Government following the handing in of a petition signed by over 635,000 people in defence of marriage last week. Last Monday, representatives of a coalition of 400 organisations handed in 524,000 signatures and a statement supporting traditional marriage. A separate 110,000 signatures...
President Mary McAleese may consult the Council of State on whether or not to refer the Civil Partnership Bill to the Supreme Court, according to a report in The Sunday Business Post. The same report also says that the first civil unions will probably not take place until next year because the Department of Finance...
