New research suggests that couples married for between 21 and 25 years are the most likely spouses to breakup. Figures from a snapshot survey of 48 divorce and judicial separation cases in the Cork Circuit Court in October 2006 showed that over 20 per cent of cases involved couples in this age group. The Family Law Matters study, by Dr Carol Coulter, also showed that a sixth of the cases were taken by people in marriages of between 31 and 35 years.

The Government is set to legislate for civil partnership for same-sex partners “at the earliest possible date”, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday. Mr Ahern made the comments at the re-launch of a gay community centre in Dublin.

A lesbian couple in the US is suing a Methodist-owned campground, claiming illegal discrimination because their request for a civil union ceremony on the property was denied.

New research from the US suggests that the earliest years of marriages are the happiest. The survey, carried out by Professor Kelly Musick of the University of Southern California and Professor Larry Bumpass from the University of Wisconsin, compared the reported happiness of a group of couples who had been married for three years with those who had been married for four to six years.

Social breakdown is costing the UK £102 billion a year, according to a new report by the Tory Party. And the document, entitled Breakthrough Britain, argues that encouraging marriage is one of the strategies needed to address the problem.

A High Court ruling has paved the way for partners in non-marital relationships to sue for rights in court, according to a report in the Irish Independent. The Court held that a woman who had split from her long term partner could sue for rights under the Constitution.

A new UK study has shown that three out of four young cohabitees say they will tie the knot one day. The findings are further evidence that British tax changes which make it financially beneficial to stay single are to blame for the falling number of weddings.

Stamp duty is harming married couples, according to a feature in the Irish Independent. The report points out that the abolition of stamp duty for first time buyers is likely to make it more difficult for married couples to buy bigger houses where they can start a family.

A new case may result in more rights being given to unmarried fathers. The case involves a man who is attempting to have his two-year-old twins returned to him from England after their mother took them there in January.

There has been big fall in the number of stay-at-home spouses, according to latest Census data. There are now 275,122 spouse in the home, a drop of 45,345 on the 2002 figure of 320,467. This is a decrease of 14 per cent.

New figures from the Census have revealed that very large numbers of people are commuting long distances to work. According to the new figures, 187,000 people spend over an hour getting to work.

This represents an increase of 31 per cent over the 2002 figure of 142,000 people who spent a similar time getting to work which shows the problem is getting worse. The new data also shows that 56,000 people spend over an hour and a half getting to work, while 113,000 people get up before 6.30 am to get to work.

The long commute times are putting pressure disproportionately on young families. Other Census data released recently showed that in Dublin city only one in five households in Dublin now contain the traditional family unit of married parents and children.

However, in Meath and Kildare, increasingly commuter belt areas for Dublin, there are twice as many married couple with children households. In Meath the figure is 39.5 per cent while in Kildare it is 38.3pc. In these areas, it is common for over 30 per cent of the population to have to travel over an hour to work each day. The same applies in many areas outlying major population centres, for example, Galway city.

A UK schoolgirl has taken her school to court for ‘breaching her human rights’ over its decision to ban her from wearing a ring that symbolises her belief in chastity. School-friend of the girl, Lydia Playfoot age 15, have also been ordered to remove the 'purity rings' because they contravene the school's uniform policy. Millais School, an all-girls’ comprehensive in West Sussex, says it has a strict 'no jewellery' rule, allowing only small stud earrings.

Parents in the US are increasingly worried about the level of sexual and violent material in cinemas, video games and TV, according to a new survey. The study reveals that two-thirds of parents are very concerned about portrayals of sex and violence their children are exposed to in the media. The report, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, shows there would be broad support for any new limits on such material on television.

The ruling body of the Moderate Party, the main partner in Sweden's ruling coalition, have come out in favour of legalising homosexual marriage after sustained pressure from a number of its members. Observers had suggested that the issue threatened to collapse the Government, led by the Moderate Party's Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

The rate of marital breakdown in Ireland is likely to reach 25 per cent in the next couple of decades and then plateau, predicts former Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald.

Radical changes to the constitutional provisions on the family to reflect the changing nature of Irish society must be made, according to former Chief Justice Ronan Keane. Mr Keane, made the remarks at a conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Constitution at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) law school on Friday.

Children whose fathers are involved in their lives fare better, educationally, socially and emotionally, according Fergus Finlay, CEO of children's charity Barnardos. Mr Finlay was speaking at the launch of an evaluation of the charity's Da Project, a pilot initiative in Cherry Orchard designed to get fathers more involved with their children.