IHREC’s position disappointing but by no means unexpected

Dear Editor, It is disappointing if not unexpected that the IHREC have refused to respond to reservations on their policy on access to same-sex marriage. (IC 26/02/2015 ‘IHREC refuse to respond to accusation of ‘misleading’)

Their position on access to civil marriage was arrived at (per their website) after ‘’reviewing human rights and equality standards and case law from other countries’’, but not presumably the European Court of Human Rights.

They have pronounced gay civil marriage as a right and that’s the end of it regardless of reservations by experts i.e. a barrister and theology professor as set out in your article.

A quick look at the web sites of IHREC and Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) will show shared board members and shared views on the upcoming referendum.

A newspaper such as The Irish Catholic would, I suggest, not be taken as seriously as positive feedback is from their supporters, whose views are more to their liking and feature on one of their sites.

The boards and members of these bodies are eminent and respected people in this arena and their views on this would be worthwhile and lend to more reasoned consideration of the issue

Yours etc.,

Barry Prendergast,

Knocknarea, Sligo.