There was a time when social policy was very strongly influenced by Catholic teaching. Now the opposite is often the case. It is a classic example of the pendulum swinging first one way and then the other. But when the Church had a great deal of influence in the country it was for a reason;…
What should we think about so-called ‘Citizens’ Assemblies’? They seem to be a favourite tool of the Government to nudge public opinion in a desired direction, to expose them to particular expert views and then win the backing of delegates for whatever policy the Government appears to have in mind before these assemblies even begin.…
A special Oireachtas committee on ‘assisted dying’ has been holding public hearings for the last four weeks. The task before it is to consider whether or not Ireland should introduce assisted suicide for people who are terminally ill and nearing the end of their lives. It is clear from listening to the members of the committee,…
The most important Irish story of last week was not the one involving Ryan Tubridy and RTÉ, nor the remarks from Michael D. Higgins about neutrality. Instead, it involved a new report on the way underage girls in the care of the State are being sexually exploited, abused and raped by ‘gangs of men’, something…
The Irish Government is radicalising how sex education is taught to the country’s pupils bit by bit, but not even it has yet been as bold as Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, who has issued an order that all secondary schools in the North must teach pupils how to access abortion. This includes pupils…
An extraordinary press conference was held right at the end of May by NASA which attracted weirdly little commentary or attention, given the topic under discussion, namely Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). Anyone over a certain age will have a vivid memory of NASA (the National Aeronautical and Space Administration) from the days of the moon…
Rates of marriages and births decline as our social bond weakens, writes David Quinn. Ireland, or at least our opinion-formers, love declaring how much we have changed in recent decades and that it is almost all for the better. We are much more ‘tolerant’ now, they say, far more ‘compassionate’. We have legalised same-sex marriage.…
The government has listened to ideological campaigners instead of parents, writes David Quinn The new Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) syllabus for Junior Cycle students aged 12 to 15 in the Republic has been published by Education Minister, Norma Foley, and it is a deeply ideological piece of work that will upset many parents.…
Anyone who falls foul of present orthodoxies is at risk under new laws to prosecute people accused of undefined ‘hate’, writes David Quinn One of the most overused words in politics today is ‘hate’. When someone disagrees with you, it isn’t enough to simply say you are wrong. You must also be condemned as a…
Parents will have to fight back if gender ideology is imposed on schools, writes David Quinn A major review into how Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is taught in the country’s schools has been underway for some time now with demands that it be brought ‘up to date’. This is often code for ditching from…