There is a lack of evidence for many of the claims made on behalf of universal childcare, according to an in-depth review of the academic literature in both the UK and elsewhere.

Commissioned by the Civitas think-tank, researcher Maria Lyons found that of 40 studies examined for the report, “not a single one was able to demonstrate a clear and lasting benefit for children under 3 of attending childcare rather than being cared for by their own parents”.

The claim that universal childcare from a young age gives every child “the best start in life” is, the author concludes, “simply not backed up by evidence”.

What benefit is shown is mostly in children from the most deprived backgrounds. But, as Lyons points out, though this is typically presented as a positive for social mobility, it also means that “the policy has failed to benefit the majority of participating children”. Universal childcare is also not the most effective way to help disadvantaged children, whose parents are less likely to use subsidised childcare, and who might instead benefit more from targeted intervention.

The Minister for Equality has said he would have an “open mind” about creating a welfare payment for stay-at-home parents, if a referendum to change the reference to mothers in the constitution were passed.

However, there is currently no impediment that would require a change to the constitution.

Amid concerns that the new amendment on care would be legally meaningless, Roderic O’Gorman was not able to promise that the government’s wording would give carers the right to take the state to court for concrete socioeconomic supports.

Asked if he would support a new social welfare payment for stay-at-home parents, the minister said: “I’d certainly examine with an open mind any supports we can give to parents who are in the home. I would definitely look at that with an open mind. I think we need to do more there.”

At the moment, only married stay-at-home parents are entitled to a home carers credit – which is paid on their earning partner’s salary.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says that it will be up to the courts to define what is meant by “durable relationships” should the upcoming family referendum be passed.

The amendment would explicitly grant familial rights to people involved in such relationships without stating what qualifies as durable or to how many people may be involved.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said he would be advocating a ‘yes’ vote in the family referendum so as to “recognise a whole range of different families”.

Asked by Gript media how far the proposed amendment would “loosen” the definition of a family, he said: “I don’t think its right for us to start being exactly, in a constitution, saying ‘this family is in, this family is out’, I think it is appropriate that there is some legal judgement applied to that in each individual case”.

People of religious faith appear to have experienced lower levels of unhappiness and stress than secular people during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, according to a new University of Cambridge study.

The findings follow recently published Cambridge-led research suggesting that worsening mental health after experiencing Covid infection was also somewhat ameliorated by religious belief.

The researchers argue that – taken together – these studies show that religion may act as a bulwark against increased distress and reduced wellbeing during times of crisis, such as a global public health emergency.

“Selection biases make the wellbeing effects of religion difficult to study,” said Prof Shaun Larcom from Cambridge’s Department of Land Economy, and co-author of the latest study. “People may become religious due to family backgrounds, innate traits, or to cope with new or existing struggles.”

The Canadian government has announced it is seeking a pause on extending euthanasia to those suffering solely from severe mental illnesses because the system would not be able to cope with the numbers who might come forward.

Health Minister Mark Holland said Canada’s health system is still “not ready” for the euthanasia expansion. Over 13,000 Canadians died by euthanasia in 2022, up from 1,000 in 2016.

Conservative MP Michael Cooper called on the government to pause the expansion indefinitely. He pointed to testimony from psychiatrists who told a committee examining the subject that it would be difficult — if not impossible — for medical professionals to decide whether a mental illness is beyond treatment.

Politicians across the political spectrum believe there is a good chance that the proposed Constitutional changes relating to the family will be rejected by voters on March 8^th, according to a leading political analyst.

Columnist and former political editor Stephen Collins, said the lack of enthusiasm for the proposals across Government and Opposition benches is noteworthy given that the two amendments have the support of virtually the entire Dáil.

“The reluctance of many Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs stems from the belief that the changes are unnecessary, and potentially politically dangerous, while the lack of enthusiasm on the Opposition side reflects a view that the amendments do not go far enough,” he wrote.

“With such halfhearted support, there is a very real chance that the amendments, which originated in proposals from the Citizens’ Assembly and were approved almost unanimously by the Dáil, will be rejected by the voters who bother to turn up on March 8^th”.

A new draft bill in Germany would introduce fines of up to €5,000 for peaceful expression on public streets near facilities that offer abortion.

The bill, announced last week by Germany’s Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus, who belongs to the Green party, would seek to create nationwide exclusion zones around the facilities, criminalising messages that could be subjectively understood as “disturbing” or “confusing,” with no legal clarity as to how those terms are to be interpreted.

Harassment is already fully illegal, independent of the proposed new law, which would target peaceful expression.

The proposed new law would, if enacted, be in direct contravention to a 2023 decision from the country’s top administrative court upholding the freedom of assembly across the street from an abortion facility. The ruling affirmed the rights of a pro-life activist who conducted silent prayer vigils on the public street in Pforzheim, Germany. Such an exercise of basic human rights would likely run afoul of the proposed new legislation.

Catholic leaders in central India are calling for increased security ahead of the installation of a new bishop.

The call comes in the wake of anti-Christian assaults by Hindu activists, which featured the placement of saffron flags on the rooftops of four Protestant churches,

The incidents occurred last week following Sunday services in the four churches in the Jhabua district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. According to local media reports, the Hindu militants were celebrating the Jan. 22 consecration of a new temple to the Lord Ram in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state on a site believed to be the Hindu deity’s birthplace.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the consecration ceremony, has touted the massive new temple as the cornerstone of a Hindu nationalist renaissance in India.

According to local sources, activists energized on the eve of the consecration ceremony climbed on top of the four churches and prayer halls in Jhabua, shouting Jai Shri Ram (“Hail Lord Ram”), a frequent battle cry of Hindu nationalists, and planted saffron flags on the roofs.

The Government will quickly introduce legislation to extend widows and widowers’ pensions to surviving members of unmarried relationships with children.

The move comes after the Supreme Court ruled it was an unconstitutional breach of equality to offer a State pension to couples stemming from their marriage but not to individuals from unmarried relationships when children are involved.

In a statement, the Government said Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and Attorney General Rossa Fanning were examining the judgment, including what legislation would be required to comply with it. This will be done “with all expediency”, the statement said.

The Government is expected to provide payment of the WCP to bereaved unmarried parents. The Supreme Court litigant, Mr O’Meara, by virtue of his legal action, will be entitled to the WCP and should get backdated payments but other bereaved unmarried parents are expected to get prospective payments only.

The court’s ruling relies on the fact that Mr O’Meara is a bereaved parent. Sineád Lucey of the Free Legal Advice Centres, which represented Mr O’Meara, took the view that any entitlements of bereaved childless cohabitees would require a separate determination in an appropriate case.

A shooting at a Catholic Church in Istanbul yesterday has left one person dead.

The extreme Islamist group, ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the atrocity.

Two gunmen wearing black balaclavas entered the Church of St. Mary in the Sariyer district during Mass shortly before noon local time, killing a Turkish citizen named Tuncer Cihan.

After a brief manhunt, Turkish authorities arrested two suspects in the assault, saying one was from Tajikistan and the other from Russia, and that both have ties to ISIS.