There is a draft proposal to reduce the amount of time faith schools devote to Religious Education each week. David Quinn of The Iona Institute and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland debated the proposal yesterday on The Pat Kenny Show. David argued that requiring faith schools to devote less time to teaching their faith is...
Fine Gael TD, Josepha Madigan, is proposing that we reduce divorce waiting times in Ireland from four years to two years. She appeared on The Last Word on Today FM to debate her proposal with Breda O’Brien of The Iona Institute. A key consideration; would reducing the waiting time increase the divorce rate, decrease it,...
Iona Institute patron, Professor Patricia Casey, appeared on the Last Word on Today FM yesterday June 22) to discuss our new report, ‘Mind the Gap: how marriage and family differ by social class’. Also discussing the report was Dr Jane Gray, lecturer in social studies at National University of Ireland, Maynooth. The item (which is...
Maria Steen (pictured) of The Iona Institute appeared on The Cutting Edge on RTE 1 last night (June 15). Maria presented her views in the 90 second ‘soapbox’ slot and what she had to say was then discussed in the studio. Studio guests, Brenda Power and George Hook, said they agreed with her. The item...
The issue of the ‘right to die’ has resurfaced in Ireland after ‘right to die’ campaigner, Tom Curran, admitted he has helped some 200 people to plan their suicides. David Quinn of The Iona Institute, and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland, debated on The Pat Kenny Show today (June 15) whether such a right exists....
Iona Institute spokesperson and Irish Times columnist, Breda O’Brien, appeared on Tonight with Vincent Browne last Thursday (June 9) to debate the future of denominational education, among other issues. The discussion was prompted by an announcement from Education Minister, Richard Bruton, that divesting of some Catholic schools is to be fast-tracked. The programme can be found...
Dr Tom Finegan, Research and Policy Officer with The Iona Institute was on the Lunchtime programme on Newstalk yesterday (June 9) to discuss the finding by the UN Human Rights Committee that Ireland’s law against abortion is ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’. He was preceded by Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International, Ireland. Tom argued that this finding...
This week, new Education Minister, Richard Bruton, announced plans to speed up divestment of some Catholic schools so as to allow a wider choice of schools to parents. David Quinn of The Iona Institute and Paddy Monahan of Educate Equality debated the new proposals on The Right Hook on Monday. The debate can be heard here....
On Wednesday, May 11, Maria Steen (pictured) of The Iona Institute debated the issue of abortion and the 8th amendment with Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International Ireland. They appeared together on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk. A highlight was when Maria asked Colm a question that resulted in several seconds silence from Colm which was...
The Bishops of Northern Ireland this week issued guidelines ahead of Assembly elections there. This detailed the sort of issues Catholic voters should keep to the forefront of their minds. But is this ‘interference’ in politics by the Bishops? David Quinn debated this question on the Nolan Show on BBC Northern Ireland. He said that...
