Parents are financially better off if they split up under the current UK tax system, according to a new report.

New research shows that 44 per cent of people claim to know someone who has been the victim of domestic abuse. The survey, carried out on behalf of Cosc, a Government organisation mandated to prevent domestic, sexual and domestic violence, also showed most people were unwilling to intervene in situations of abuse if they related to someone outside their family or circle of friends.

More respondents said they knew a woman who has suffered domestic violence (40 per cent) rather than a man (21 per cent). Most people say the person they know is a friend, followed by a family member or a work colleague. An overwhelming majority agree that it is a criminal offence rather than a private matter.

When asked what they would do if they suspected a friend was experiencing domestic violence, there was widespread reluctance to contact the Garda.

Just 43 per cent say they would contact gardaí. Most say they would talk to their friend (96 per cent), encourage a friend to contact a helpline (93 per cent) or encourage a friend to contact a social worker (85 per cent).

The reasons for not reporting to the Garda include not wanting to interfere in other people’s business, fear of making matters worse or concern that it would not improve the safety of those involved.

Launching the report yesterday, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said the survey indicated that while there was a consistent prevalence of abuse, there were very low levels of reporting.

“We know domestic abuse is a serious, hidden and tragic issue. It affects people of all ages in all areas of Ireland, whether they are witnesses or direct victims of the abuse,” he said. “We already have a broad range of organisations in Ireland working very hard to prevent and respond to these crimes yet, despite their actions, this kind of criminal behaviour is constant.”

He said each member of society had a role to play in supporting victims to recover their lives.

“Where we know of, or suspect, a case of domestic abuse we have a responsibility to understand, to be informed and to know where to go to get expert help. I would encourage people to visit www.cosc.ie for more information if they are worried about someone they know.”

In response to the survey, Cosc is running a national public awareness campaign called “your silence feeds the violence”. It is aimed at encouraging people to take an active role in supporting people who are experiencing domestic abuse. It provides practical tips on what to do if you become aware of domestic violence and includes helpline numbers for groups such as Women’s Aid, Amen – which supports men encountering domestic violence – and the Rape Crisis Centre.

The head of Cosc, Éimear Fisher, said support services were too fragmented at present but work was under way to help provide a more co-ordinated response to victims.

The survey was based on telephone interviews of a nationally representative sample of just over 2,000 people.

Aggressive atheists have used the terrorist outrages of September 11 as an excuse to attack all religions, according to the former head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Lord Carey.

Children living with both biological parents or adoptive parents who attend religious services regularly are less likely to exhibit problems at school or at home, according to new research from the US.

The overwhelming majority of Irish people (92 per cent) believe that children have the right to be raised by a mother and father where possible, according to a new Red C poll commissioned by The Iona Institute.

Three international gay rights organisations are jointly urging the UN body that reviews implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to incorporate the radical “Yogyakarta Principles” in its recommendations.

Ireland is the EU country with the highest birth rate, according to new figures from Eurostat, the EU's official statistics body.

A UK atheist group has launched an advertising campaign on public transport across Britain.

Five Roman Catholic adoption agencies have decided to go against Catholic teaching and change their policies to allow applications from homosexual couples, after the coming into force on January 1st of the UK Government's new Sexual Orientation Regulation (SOR).

The absence of fathers in the lives of children is set to cause “huge problems”, according to Brendan Dempsey, the southern regional president of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP).

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has criticised attempts by the Government to ensure that the European Union does not decide sensitive social issues.

The number of divorces granted has risen by a third between 2000 and 2007 and by six per cent in 2007 compared with 2006, according to figures released by the Courts Service. The statistics, published in the latest issue of Family Law Matters and reported in The Irish Times showed that there were 3,684 divorces granted in 2007, compared with 3,467 in 2006.

Regular attendance at Mass and other religious services cuts the risk of death by nearly 20 per cent among women aged 50 to 79, according to new research from the US.

Pope Benedict's Christmas address to the Curia which dealt, among other things, with marriage and the differences between the sexes, has been badly misquoted in a series of media outlets which claim the Pope suggested that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

A ruling that a Christian registrar, Miss Lillian Ladele, had been discriminated against by her Council when she objected to registering same-sex civil partnerships has been quashed by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in the UK.

Recapitalising familes "is an investment which comes with a guaranteed return", according to the Primate of All-Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady. In his Christmas message, the Cardinal said that, in order for future prosperity to built on more solid foundations, family and community life needed to be rebuilt.

The UK Government has admitted that children brought up within a marriage setting are better off than children brought up in cohabiting or single parent families.

Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire has put a moratorium on new holiday displays, after an atheist sign placed next to a nativity scene sparked a controversy.

An unmarried sperm donor father in the UK whose son was taken away by his lesbian mother during family court proceedings has been permitted to ask publicly for his safe return after restrictions on identifying the parties was lifted.

More than a third of Britons continue to believe in the virgin birth, according to new poll commissioned by Theos, the public theology think tank.