Fine Gael will not give assurances that Accord State funding is safe

Fine Gael has refused to give assurances that Catholic marriage counselling would not have funding withdrawn if the referendum on same-sex marriage passes.

Currently, Accord, a Church-run marriage preparation and counselling agency, receives funds from the State through the Family Support Agency and Health Service Executive.

However, concerns have been raised in the organisation that if the referendum is passed, Accord would be forced to accept the State’s redefinition of marriage or else have funding withdrawn. It is understood that Accord would not accept such a redefinition.

Initially, a Fine Gael spokesperson told The Irish Catholic that due to the complexity of the question it would take some time to respond.

However, after several days the Fine Gael Press Office refused to give assurances that Accord could continue to operate according to a Catholic ethos and receive funding. Instead, the spokesperson referred the matter to the Referendum Commission, despite the fact that such funding is not a matter for the commission.

Difficulties

The move would leave couples who experience difficulties in their marriage with fewer options to resolve these difficulties if Accord’s 51 centres across the Republic were forced to close.

Accord’s national executive previously overruled a motion which would have required it to offer sexual counselling gay people, which would be against Catholic teaching.

The motion, originally tabled in October 2011 by Accord’s Wexford branch, proposed to make “the full range of counselling and therapy services” available to all those seeking them from the organisation.

The Guide to the Equal Status Acts 2000–2008, confirms that the Acts “allow people to be treated differently” on the religion ground in relation to religious goods and services where “the goods and services are provided for religious purposes”.

Understanding

However, Taoiseach Enda Kenny is already on the record as saying that Catholic schools would be required to teach the State’s understanding of marriage if the referendum is passed.

Fine Gael’s inability this week to guarantee that Accord can continue to receive State funding will raise further concerns amongst people alarmed at the possible dilution of religious freedom rights.