The Department of Education has published it new specifications for the Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE) for Senior Cycle. It will become mandatory from September 2027 and includes Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). Quite apart from what’s in the programme, what is concerning is what is left out. For example, the new curriculum, unlike...
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Irish Government imposed the longest ban on public worship in Europe, while in Northern Ireland restrictions were less drastic. A new academic study says that religious institutions and media outlets largely supported these measures, with the main exception of the Irish Catholic newspaper. The study, by Gladys Ganiel and Caoimhe...
A new poll highlights significant public concerns about the potential legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the UK. It also highlights contradictory attitudes. There is broad support for allowing the procedures but nervousness about how it may work out. While a majority may support “assisted dying” in principle, many feel that the complexities and...
Ireland has recently passed one of the most permissive surrogacy law in Europe. To appreciate how extreme this law is, it can be compared with what is in the report issued last year by the Law Commission of England and Wales, in collaboration with the Scottish Law Commission. This report reviews the current legislation and...
A major new paper criticises so-called “comprehensive sexuality education”, raising concerns about its content, effectiveness, impact on parental rights, and psychological effects on young people. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) focuses on the broader concept of ‘sexuality’ rather than just ‘sex’. It is promoted by international institutions such as the UN, the World Health Organisation (WHO),...
More and more people do not want to have children, a major new American poll shows, and the chief reason is not the cost of living, but rather the wish to be free of the responsibilities of parenthood. Here in Ireland, as in America, the fertility rate has dropped well below replacement level and therefore...
More than half of the world’s population lives in countries where religious believers experience persecution, according to a new report by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Christians are the most persecuted religious group globally. The ACN report sheds light on the dire situation faced by many religious believers. The period under review (January...
Ireland’s population is getting older fast as fertility rates fall rapidly, with serious social consequences. The latest projections from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) highlight dramatic demographic transformations ahead. These projections, covering the period from 2023 to 2057, provide insights into population growth, ageing trends, fertility rates, and migration patterns. They are based on three...
A member of Cork City Council has called for an end to saying a prayer at the start of council meetings, appealing to the principle of the ‘separation of Church and State’. Cllr Pádraig Rice noted that more than 50 years ago, the people of Ireland voted to remove the special position of the Catholic...
In an era where digital content is accessible at the click of a button, the exposure of children to inappropriate material, particularly pornography, has become a pressing issue. In response to these concerns, Senator Rónán Mullen, along with a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, has introduced the “Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill” in Seanad...
