Britain’s law on abortion, which makes it illegal to provide abortion on the basis of gender has become “meaningless”, MPs have warned, after the country’s most senior prosecutor was accused of putting doctors who agreed to arrange illegal terminations above the law. Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions, described as “very dubious”...
The pace of handing some Catholic schools in the archdiocese of Dublin to new patron bodies has been a slow, a diocesan spokeswoman has told The Irish Times. Her comments follow remarks made by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin (pictured) this week on Newstalk where he said that many parents didn’t want to divest their...
The city of Venice in Italy has passed a law banning the terms “mother” and “father” on forms parents must fill out to gain a place for their children at publicly funded day care centres and kindergartens. The “civil rights and anti-discrimination” policy was introduced by city councilor Camilla Seibezzi, who said that such...
Marital breakdown has increased sixfold in Ireland since 1986, a new report published today by the Iona Institute has shown. In addition, there has been a huge increase in the number of children being raised outside marriage with the number now standing at over 456,000 of which 305,000 are under 18. The report, Marriage Breakdown...
Children should be taught about the “negative impact of online pornography” in the classroom, one of David Cameron’s main advisers has said. Claire Perry, the Conservative MP, made the call as leading charities call for an overhaul of sex education. One leading UK children’s charity, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to...
“Vulnerable” students are set to be the next victims of Labour’s “culture war” against religious faith in public life, Fianna Fáil Education spokesperson, Charlie McConalogue TD, has said. He was responding to suggestions by Labour TD Aodhán Ó Riordáin (pictured) to cut the chaplaincy services from VECs and community schools. Mr Ó Riordáin, formerly the...
There is no need for the Government to change the law to ban the slapping of children, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald (pictured) has said. She was responding to calls from a children’s charity to make smacking illegal. The Children’s Rights Alliance called on the Government to implement a complete ban on slapping children, claiming that...
National leaders in Canada have questioned the motives behind a controversial proposal in the province of Quebec that would ban religious symbols and garb in public workplaces. The leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau, said he was concerned about the implications of the law religious freedom in Quebec. “I have enormous concerns about the...
The rate of births outside marriage continues to increase, the latest Vital Statisics report shows. The report, published yesterday by the Central Statistics Office, showed there were 6,406 births registered as outside marriage in the first quarter of this year, which marked an increase of 0.6pc the first quarter of last year and an increase...
Faith formation in stand alone Catholic schools, such as preparation for Communion and Confirmation, are “disruptive” to the children of parents who do not share the Catholic faith, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said. And he said he hoped to change traditional faith formation in such schools by next year. Speaking in UCC at a...
