In a statement they say the “Dying with Dignity” Bill that was recently approved by the Dail for committee stage was preceded by a “rushed and incomplete debate”.

The group have called instead for a “robust and balanced debate on the matter”.

The IHF believes the Bill, “is a seismic shift in legislative terms and its impact on all areas of society cannot be underestimated”.

“It should therefore receive the time it deserves to consider the rich and diverse evidence, views, opinions and anxieties of all the people of Ireland”.

The bill is due to be scrutinised in detail, and amendments considered, in the Oireachtas Justice Committee.

The findings are contained in research by the ESRI and HSE which analyses how young people receive information on sex and relationships.

It is based on data from Growing up in Ireland, a longitudinal study which interviewed teenagers at 13 and 17 years of age.

Many teens are not getting advice on sex from their parents, the report shows.

By age 13, 45 per cent of young people reported that they had discussed sex and relationship issues with their parents. By age 17, this proportion had increased to just under 60 per cent.

There was a gender divide in reports of ease of discussions with parents about sex.

Young women found it easier to talk to their mothers, while young men found it easier to talk to their fathers.

Young people who discuss sex and relationships with their parents are significantly more likely to go on to use contraception.

In contrast, those mainly reliant on their friends as a source of information on sex had lower levels of contraceptive use when they first had sex.

The US Supreme Court seems likely to side with a Catholic social services agency in a dispute with the city of Philadelphia over the agency’s wish to abide by Catholic teaching when placing children with foster parents.

During a hearing last week, Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested there should be a way for Catholic Social Services to continue to work with foster families. While the case involves “very important rights” regarding freedom of religion and same-sex marriage, he said: “It seems when those rights come into conflict, all levels of government should be careful and should often, where possible and appropriate, look for ways to accommodate both interests in reasonable ways.”

Even liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor seemed to recognise the court was sympathetic to an accommodation. “If one wanted to find a compromise in this case, can you suggest one that wouldn’t do real damage to all the various lines of laws that have been implicated here,” she asked at one point.

An unlikely alliance of chapels, kirks, gurdwaras, humanists, secularists, artists, writers and journalists have united in condemnation of the Scottish government’s Hate Crime Bill.

The bill as drafted would empower police to seize “forfeited material” to “be disposed of in such manner as the court may direct”. The National Secular Society said in a submission to the Scottish Assembly’s Justice Committee that the “draconian and ultimately counterproductive” bill had “dangerously low thresholds for prosecution”.

The offence of possessing ‘inflammatory’ material could extend to the Bible and other religious texts, according to the Bishops Conference of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland and the Evangelical Alliance, which represents 4,000 evangelical churches in the UK.

The Free Church, a Presbyterian denomination, said its critics “should be free to mock us, ridicule us and insult us”, adding that outspoken ministers would “need to have their lawyer on speed dial to check that their sermon each week does not fall foul of the offence of stirring up hatred”.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that priests could face prosecution for saying that “a man cannot become a woman”.

“The growth of what some describe as the cancel culture — hunting down those who disagree with prominent orthodoxies with the intention to expunge the non-compliant from public discourse and with callous disregard for their livelihoods is deeply concerning,” it said. “We risk becoming an intolerant, illiberal society.”

Paid parental leave, introduced to encourage greater gender equality, does not meet its policy objective, a Department of Public Expenditure spending review warns.

The relatively new scheme entitles both parents to two weeks’ paid leave in a child’s first year, paid at €245 a week from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF), known as parent’s benefit.

It was introduced in last year’s budget following an EU work-life balance directive to encourage better sharing of leave between parents and to address alleged under-representation of women in the labour market. It is in addition to 26 weeks’ paid maternity leave and two weeks’ paid paternity leave.

As most employers do not top up parent’s benefit, “it is possible to conclude that the scheme does not address the existing disparity in leave entitlements or the low uptake rate of paternity leave.

“As such it is unlikely to support families in the more equal sharing of care responsibilities or address women’s under-representation in the labour market,” says the report.

Businessman Declan Ganley has begun a constitutional challenge to the ban on attending Mass and other religious ceremonies which is part of phases 3-5 of the Government’s Covid-19 restrictions.

Mr Ganley argues that the measures preventing public worship are unconstitutional since Bunreacht na hÉireann enshrines the right to worship as a key part of religious freedom.

The matter came before Mr Justice Charles Meenan today who said the proposed challenge related to measures included as part of the Government’s Level 5 plan to combat the pandemic. Under the present law a cleric could be fined or even arrested for leaving his house to hold an act of public worship.

Those particular measures, the judge said, may expire on December 1st, which he said may render Mr Ganley’s action moot, or pointless. However, even if Level 5 comes to an end, public worship is still against public health advice in Levels 3 and 4.

The judge added that there was no likelihood of what is a complex case, if the State respondents choose to challenge it, being heard by the end of the month.

The judge, who directed that the application for permission to bring the challenge be heard on notice to the State, adjourned the matter to December 8th.

Archbishop Eamon Martin has encouraged all Catholics to make contact with their TDs to express their pain at being separated from Mass and the sacraments.

Writing in the Irish Catholic newspaper, he asked that they remind TDs that the absence affects them spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.

He cited the Taoiseach’s wish that Ireland will have a “meaningful Christmas”, but he added: ”For Christians the true meaning of Christmas is in the celebration of the Incarnation – the Word Made Flesh Who lived among us.”

“Christmas without public worship would be emptied of much of its meaning. No virtual gathering over webcam can replace the joy and consolation that comes when the Church – as a family of families – is able to physically meet to welcome Christ our Saviour”.

The UK’s Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has hinted that the current ban on public worship would be reviewed.

On Wednesday, the House of Commons approved a new four week lockdown for England.

Numerous MPs voiced opposition to the banning of public mass and religious services.

Former Prime Minister, Teresa May said it set a dangerous precedent which could be misused by a future Government.

At the end of the debate, the Health Secretary offered hope that the blanket ban might be eased.

“I can tell the House that Ministers are talking to faith leaders to do everything we can to reach an accommodation as soon as possible,” he said. “I understand the impact of this infringement on liberties.”

The Minister for Health has not offered direct evidence to justify the closing of churches for mass and other religious services.

Independent TD, Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the specific evidentiary basis for the restrictions on public worship, and if he would reconsider permitting physical attendance at religious services.

Steven Donnelly replied that the number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the Government Framework are “based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts”. However, he gave no detail as to what the international practice was regarding churches, or the elements weighed up by the public health experts. Most countries in Europe still permit public worship despite increased restrictions.

In the US state of Louisiana, a pro-life amendment has passed by a margin of 2 to 1.

It says that state courts cannot interpret any part of Louisiana’s constitution to declare a right to abortion, or mandate public funding for the procedure.

This means that the legislature alone will decide the legality of abortion.

Louisiana already has a “trigger law” that would ban almost all abortions in the state, if the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Meanwhile, Pro-life leaders in the US have welcomed the results of the elections to the US Senate.

While the Presidential race is likely won by the Democratic candidate Joe Biden, the Republicans look likely to hold a majority of the Senate.

This means Democratic plans to codify the Roe v Wade abortion regime in statute law would be vetoed.

Likewise, proposals to create extra seats on the Supreme Court to install a majority of pro-abortion judges would also fail.