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Relevant Links	News Death of world's oldest IVF mother sparks new controversy The world’s oldest mother, who conceived at 66 through anonymous sperm and egg donations has died, leaving her twin sons orphaned, according to a report in the London Times. The news has sparked fresh controversy over fertility treatment for older women. 17/07/09 View full text Britain now "cold place for Christians": bishop Mounting equality laws have made Britain a “cold place for Christians”, according to a senior Bishop. 16/07/09 View full text Religion not important in political decision making: Minister Minister Dermot Ahern has said that he doesn't “bring whatever religion I have to the table” when he is legislating. 16/07/09 View full text UK teens told that "sex keeps you healthy" Teenagers should be told “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”, according to a new booklet produced by the British health service, the NHS. 14/07/09 View full text Increase in Biblical ignorance: report Knowledge of the Bible in England and Wales is declining, with many ignorant of its most significant characters and events, according to a new survey. 15/07/09 View full text "Cooling off period" for divorcing couples proposed UK couples thinking about a divorce should be required by law to have a three month "cooling off" period to get more information as to what divorce involves financially and emotionally according to a new family law report. 14/07/09 View full text Failed adoptions in UK double, new figures show The number of adopted children in the UK who have been returned to care homes because their new parents cannot cope with them has doubled in the past five years, according to a report in the London Times. 14/07/09 View full text Massachusetts sues US Government over Defence of Marriage Act The US state of Massachusetts, which has legalised same-sex marriage, is suing the federal government over the Defence of Marriage Act. 10/07/09 View full text Government publishes first part of major study on children The first results from the National Longitudinal Study of Children, a major study of Ireland's children, was launched today. The study, entitled Growing up in Ireland, partly involves tracking the lives of 8,500 nine-year-old children and their families, draws on data collected during Wave One of the Child Cohort which took place between September 07 and May 08 and involved interviewing 8,500 9-year-old children, their parents, teachers and principals. These children will be revisited for a follow-up interview when they are 13 years old. The study also examined 10,000 nine-month-olds. The initial results, published today, are presented in a series of brief, topic based reports in the areas of health, education, family context and the characteristics of 9 Year Olds in Ireland. Among the findings from the second section of the study, entitled The Families of 9-Year-Olds, was that family structure, that is whether families are made up of lone, married, divorced parents etc, has “a major impact on the level of financial, human and social resources and support that children receive in their early years”. The study found that just over 82 per cent of nine-year-olds lived in two-parent households, and 48 per cent lived in two-parent households where there were three or more resident children including themselves. The Iona Institute today welcomed the prominence report gave to the issue of family structure. Iona director, David Quinn, said that international research “clearly demonstrates the importance of family structure for children. Above all it shows that children tend to fare best when raised by their two biological parents in a low-conflict marriage. “Hopefully as this very important study into the lives of Irish children proceeds, it will continue to highlight the importance of family structure,” he concluded. Eighteen of nine-year-olds lived in single-parent families, with 11 per cent living in single parent families containing one or two children. The remaining seven per cent lived in households with three or more children. It also found that 29 per cent of smaller two-parent families were in the top income group. Single-parent families were mainly in the lowest income group, especially those in the largest single-parent families, which had three or more children. Fifty three per cent of this cohort were in the lowest income group. Just over half of all mothers of nine-year-olds classified themselves as working principally outside the home; 38 per cent said they worked mainly in the home. Four per cent said they were unemployed. On average, mothers working outside the home did so for 27 hours a week, while fathers on average worked for 47 hours a week. Just under 61 per cent of mothers and 43 per cent of fathers felt they had missed out on home or family activities because of work. Broken down, 34 per cent of mothers and 50 per cent of fathers felt that their family lives were being adversely affected by work. Work also negatively affected the quality of family life for a significant proportion of parents and children. Thirty seven per cent of mothers and 36 per cent of fathers agreed with the statement “Because of work responsibilities your family time is less enjoyable and more pressured”. However a majority of both mothers and fathers, 56 per cent, disagreed with this statement. 10/07/09 House of Lords votes against ‘anti-hate’ law An attempt to repeal a law protecting the right of Britons to criticise homosexuality has been defeated in the House of Lords. 10/07/09 View full text Governments must promote marriage, says new encyclical Promoting marriage is a “social and economic necessity,” Pope Benedict says in his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. 09/07/09 View full text "Artificial sperm" created in UK lab Scientists in Newcastle have created artificial sperm in a laboratory for the first time, sparking major ethical concerns. 07/07/09 View full text Government teen pregnancy campaign backfires A UK Government-backed project designed to curb teenage pregnancies has seen them rise instead, according to new figures. 09/07/09 View full text Catholic school in Quebec denied right to teach Catholic religion course A Canadian Catholic school has been refused permission to to continue teaching its own Catholic-centered religion course. 07/07/09 View full text Only one in four want all schools to be state-run: new poll Just a quarter of people want all publicly funded schools to be run by the State, according to a new poll commissioned by the Iona Institute. 07/07/09 View full text Education Minister uncertain about Church position on schools Education Minister Batt O’Keefe has said he “is not certain” whether Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and Bishop Leo O’Reilly, the Chair of the Hierarchy’s Education Commission, are “in unison” on the issue of the future of Catholic schools. 03/07/09 View full text ISPCC want enhanced powers for social workers The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) have again called for children to be allowed to access child support and child protection services without their parents consent. 01/07/09 View full text Only 12 per cent of British children baptised: Bishop Only 12 per cent of children in the UK are now baptised, and there has also been a collapse in the number of Church weddings, a leading Church of England bishop has warned. 01/07/09 View full text UK education minister praises faith schools Catholic schools in England and Wales have displayed “a commitment to standards but also a commitment to wellbeing, to supporting the wider cultural and spiritual and moral development of children,” the UK's Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has said. 1/07/09 View full text Rise in number of children born outside marriage “alarming” The continuing rise in the number of children being born outside marriage has been described as “alarming” by The Iona Institute. 30/06/09 View full text 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 © 2007 IONA Institute \| \| All Rights Reserved \| \| Charity No: 17347	Spotlight...
Institute for Marriage and Public Policy First Things Relationships Foundation National Fatherhood Initiative The Institute for the Study of Civil Society Studies Family Facts Family & Life The Christian Institute Veritas		"The child...shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents." Article 7. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.