Archbishop Sean Brady, Primate of All-Ireland, has welcomed the establishment of the Iona Institute as a “timely initiative”, according to a report in the Irish Catholic newspaper. The new think-tank, headed-up by leading columnist David Quinn, was launched earlier this month and aims to strengthen civil society by by underlining the importance of marriage and...

The Government has given an assurance to the bishops that there will be no watering down of the Constitutional rights of the family under a proposed amendment on children’s rights, according to a report in today’s Irish Catholic. The assurance came at a meeting between representatives of the Bishops’ Conference and the Minister for Children...

Majority of American women now without a spouse, census finds

The Government’s planned referendum on children’s rights, which could change as many as three separate articles of the Constitution, may only present voters with one question. A report in today’s Irish Times suggests that the Government plans to link the question of children’s rights in the Constitution together with the issue of abolishing the defence...

  A new longitudinal study of the lives of children in Ireland will include questions about family structure allowing Irish researchers to investigate for the first time and in a meaningful way the effects of family structure on children. The study will involve 18,000 children including a cohort of 10,000 nine month olds and 8,000...

A lawyer from the firm responsible for the “Unhappy Christmas” ad has apologised. Angela Farrell, a managing partner of Farrell Family Law Solicitors, who were behind the ad, said that regretted any offence caused. The ad, which appeared in the Irish Times on three occasions over Christmas week, read: “Unhappy family Christmas? Call Farrell Family...

  Laws which give cohabiting couples marriage-like rights may not lead to fewer marriages, according to new research. The claim from British researchers comes as the Irish Government looks at giving Irish cohabitees marriage-like rights. Critics have argued that the plan could encourage fewer people to marry and therefore threaten family stability. They ask why...

Marriage and prayer are among some of the key factors in people’s happiness, a new study commissioned by the UK Government has found. The research, carried out by an economics professor at London’s Imperial College, found that people in stable relationships and people who prayed were more content than their fellow citizens. The report has...