State cuts its funding for RCC marriage guidance

recedite · 13-05-2015 2:07pm #1

Govt. has decided to reduce funding to RCC's "accord" agency from €2M to €1.6M, so that their pre-marriage courses are no longer state funded.

Hopefully the remaining money is ring-fenced so that it cannot be channeled into the same pre-marriage courses.

State agency Tusla which was only founded a year ago, should be congratulated for uncovering this abuse of taxpayers money (which was probably unconstitutional anyway, as it seems to me it amounted to State "endowment" of a particular religion).

I presume these courses would preach the RCC concept of marriage; no artificial contraception, no divorce, no gays, the responsibility of the couple to bring up any kids in the faith, baptise them, and have them educated in RC schools.

from the Irish Times article, they are now complaining bitterly that the State appears to be adhering more to its own secular laws than to RCC Canon Law;

In comments to the newspaper, Bishop of Elphin Dr Kevin Doran questioned whether the withdrawal of the funding is “part of a wider policy” of the Government to withdraw financial support to Catholic Church agencies...

“We did express concern in a pastoral statement in March that this could happen and certainly some of the comments coming from the Taoiseach would indicate that he would expect (publicly funded!!)* Catholic schools to change what they teach in relation to marriage and the family....

“I also think back to two years ago when the then minister for health [James Reilly] threatened to remove funding from Catholic hospitals if they didn’t conform to the law on abortion. It is now the same Minister who is responsible for Tusla.”

*this bit not in the original quote

kylith · 13-05-2015 3:03pm

Good! Nothing that endows any religion should be government funded in any way. I'm even a bit peeved by the fact that they'll still be getting E1.6m.

Delirium · 13-05-2015 3:04pm

Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, Fergus Finlay, who was also on Newstalk programme this morning, said it was unfair to say Accord’s funding cuts had anything to do with the upcoming referendum.

He said his own charity, which has been actively campaigning for a Yes vote, also had its funding cut. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Source

It's not just Accord, but a variety of Tulsa funded agencies that are having their funding cut from what little I've read so far.

lazygal · 13-05-2015 3:39pm

Other children's charities advocating a yes vote have had funding cut too. Why is this outrage on behalf of a discriminatory body getting airtime?

PopePalpatine · 13-05-2015 5:10pm

Ah here, the Litigious One is on The Last Word mewling about it right now.

13-05-2015 5:49pm

Tusla has a budget of €6m for counselling services nationwide, more than a quarter of which will go to Accord.

But from the outcry you'd be forgiven for thinking that Accord were the only ones affected by these cuts. :mad:

robindch · 13-05-2015 5:52pm

Deleted User wrote: »

But from the outcry you'd be forgiven for thinking that Accord were the only ones affected by these cuts.

From their perspective, they are the only ones affected by these cuts.

circadian · 13-05-2015 6:19pm

In comments to the newspaper, Bishop of Elphin Dr Kevin Doran questioned whether the withdrawal of the funding is “part of a wider policy” of the Government to withdraw financial support to Catholic Church agencies...

Does this suggest other Church agencies are getting government funding from elsewhere?

lazygal · 13-05-2015 6:31pm

circadian wrote: »

Does this suggest other Church agencies are getting government funding from elsewhere?

Well 92% of schools anyway.

The Black Oil · 13-05-2015 7:15pm

Twitter was fun today because of this...elements the No camp appeared to spin that it's because of positions on the referendum.

BlaasForRafa · 13-05-2015 8:41pm

In comments to the newspaper, Bishop of Elphin Dr Kevin Doran questioned whether the withdrawal of the funding is “part of a wider policy” of the Government to withdraw financial support to Catholic Church agencies...

Hopefully....

jank · 14-05-2015 2:54am

Anyone find this decision a bit bizarre given that so much time is being spent on letting homosexuals get married? Not talking about Accord, I am talking about funding cuts to all the agencies that offer marriage counseling services.

recedite · 14-05-2015 10:27am

jank wrote: »

...I am talking about funding cuts to all the agencies that offer marriage counseling services.

What agencies are those? I wouldn't have a problem with public funding for any unbiased marriage counselling service that is open to all members of the public.
I wouldn't give it the highest priority of all public services (in the context of cuts having to be made) but I wouldn't have any problem with it in principle.

lazygal · 14-05-2015 10:30am

RTE referred to cuts to funding to secular marriage counselling services. Anyone know what bodies offer such services?

eviltwin · 14-05-2015 10:59am

There was a discussion on this yesterday on one of the news shows. Quinn specifically mentioned pre marriage courses not marriage counselling. I know Accord counselling is open to all but pre marriage courses are not and are often done out of necessity and seen as a bit of a joke by the couples involved so I've no issue with the cuts.

Hotblack Desiato · 14-05-2015 10:06pm

Seems, like the free communion money, this was another thing that slipped under the radar for years and nobody ever questioned it and few even knew about it

If RCC wants people to do pre-marriage courses then they can do any or all of these things:

- have the couples pay for it
- use their own ample resources
- have a collection in church for it
- petition for a voluntary church tax to provide 'catholic services for catholic people'

Asabiyyah · 17-05-2015 5:20pm

I don't think there should be funding for any agencies, it's undemocratic.

Brian Shanahan · 17-05-2015 6:04pm

As I said elswhere, the chief exec of Tusla was on Morning Ireland during the week where he rebutted the rcc's unfounded accusations of bias. Basically the organisation is in the hole for €18m from last year, and needed to make cutbacks and focus on core services.

Naturally enough they decided that the underfunded and neccessary fostering and problem family assistance areas of their remit were more valuable than giving the worlds most wealthy organisation money to give pre-marriage courses which are laughably out of date and run by celibates.

State cuts its funding for RCC marriage guidance

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