Cathal Barry
Decision to axe State funding to the Catholic agency will annoy many voters, writes Cathal Barry
The Government’s decision to axe funding for Accord’s pre-marriage preparation courses comes as demand for the courses from young couples is increasing steadily.
Around the time that divorce was introduced, the Government put in place a range of services to support marriage and family life in Ireland. The grant aid towards marriage preparation is now being withdrawn. It’s ironic that funding guaranteed in the context of a referendum is now been withdrawn in the context of another referendum.
Undoubtedly, Accord are now going to have to ask hard-pressed couples to pay more for the courses. Inevitably, couples who are struggling to save for a wedding may decide not to do a pre-marriage course as the cost becomes prohibitive for them. It’s an odd paradox that Tusla – an agency set up by the State to support families – is hindering couples who want to have the best possible start to their marriages.
Of course, the axing of the Accord funding will lead many to believe that it’s part of a wider Government agenda. Ominously, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has already indicated that in the event of a ‘yes’ vote on May 22, Catholic schools will be expected to teach the State’s version of marriage regardless of the wishes of parents. Government spokespersons have insisted that the redefinition of marriage doesn’t affect the Church. The facts of the matter tell a very different story. Speaking at the weekend, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said “should the amendment be passed, more questions will arise: ‘What will we be expected to teach children in school about marriage?’ Many implications will arise from this. Bishop Leahy cites the example of “possible legal challenges around school text books that do not equally present depictions of same-sex couples and male-female couples as images for parents”.
Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin believes the withdrawal of Accord funding is a short-sighted decision.
Questions
“It’s important to say that pre-marriage preparation courses, although they are run according to a Catholic ethos, deal primarily with questions of parenthood, finances and fertility. These are the kind of things that are appropriate to any couple preparing for marriage.
“It seems to me that if the State does have a commitment to marriage, as the Constitution requires it to do, it is a rather strange move to be withdrawing funding from pre-marriage preparation courses,” he said.
Bishop Doran told The Irish Catholic “it’s important to make clear to the people of the Diocese of Elphin that the diocese will continue to provide marriage preparation courses with or without Government help. We will just have to find the resources for that.”
Of course, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Accord is being targeted as part of a wider Government agenda.
People of faith have little confidence in the current Government’s track record particularly given the petty decision to close the Vatican embassy – again citing economic reasons.
Policy
Bishop Doran believes “it remains to be seen whether this is part of wider policy of the Government”.
“Tusla say it is about focusing their funding but it is the child and family agency so I imagine that preparation of people for marriage would be part of their concern.
“We did express concern in pastoral statement in March that this could happen and certainly some of the comments coming from the Taoiseach would indicate that he would expect Catholic schools to change what they teach in relation to marriage and the family,” Bishop Doran said.
In all of this, one character looms large: Minister for Children James Reilly.
“I also think back to two years ago when the then Minister for Health [Mr Reilly] threatened to removing funding from Catholic hospitals if they didn’t conform to the law on abortion,” Bishop Doran said.
“It is now the same minister who is responsible for Tusla,” he noted.
The Government will inevitably try to minimise the story. They’ll be hoping voters don’t see through the spin.
