‘Reducing teenage pregnancy and sexual activity: What works and what doesn’t’
Venue: Davenport hotel, Dublin 2

Date and time: Thursday, March 25, 8pm

Chair: Sean O Fearghail TD

The Law Reform Commission has recently recommended that contraception be made available to minors without the permission of their parents. The theory is that this will help reduce teenage pregnancy.

But is this true? The British experience would suggest it is not. The Iona Institute has therefore invited a leading expert on this topic, Professor David Paton of the University of Nottingham, to present what the evidence really has to say in this area.

Drawing on a wealth of evidence, he will show that involving parents in decision-making is a crucial factor in reducing teenage pregnancy and sexual activity.

Professor Paton holds the Chair of Industrial Economics at the Nottingham University Business School. His research on the determinants of teenage pregnancy has been discussed in the House of Commons and House of Lords and has been the subject of considerable press, radio and TV coverage.

He has published a number of articles exposing the failures of UK Government policies in reducing teenage pregnancy.

The chair of the meeting will the Sean O Fearghail, Fianna Fail TD for Kildare South, He is the Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children.

What is the person given the responsibility for chairing Oireachtas discussions on health and children doing chairing a meeting of a private organisation which ‘promotes the place of marriage and religion in society. We defend the continued existence of publicly-funded denominational schools. We also promote freedom of conscience and religion.’

It’s not surprising to note that the Iona Institute have several supporters in Dáil and Seanad Eireann who they get to chair lectures and public meetings. Sean O Fearghail TD however is no ordinary interested backbencher when he’s paid a stipend to chair committee proceedings in the Oireachtas on matters concerning Health and Children. I assume discussions and invited expert opinions on this matter in the Oireachtas will be more balanced?

By the way on Professor Paton – he’s a professor of industrial economics, his other specialist subjects? Betting and cricket.

(Called by some the ‘Freedom of Conscience’ amendment it’s now widely known as the Florist cop out (hence the blog post title) following my blog post on October 25 – and after last nights debate where florists were popular reference points and thought of being quite likely to want to sell their flowers  ‘in the current climate’.)

Mary Minihan and Steven Carroll report today in the Irish Times that Ahern ruled out such an amendment with the meeting convenor, Deputy Sean Connick  saying that the issue was covered by equality law and that such an amendment would ‘not be good law’.

So that’s that done – until Senator Ronan Mullen gets speaking in the Seanad puffing out his chest and doing his stint for Iona.  Or maybe Fine Gael are pushed into making an amendment in the Dáil. Their spokesperson Charlie Flanagan TD said the matter had to be looked at in his speech tonight but was a bit vague as to how.

I’m not surprised that Ahern ruled this out as there is no precedent for individual objection in Irish law and it would make very poor law.  The fact that those pushing the amendment were hounding politicians about it as a ruse for their objection of any recognition of same sex couples must also be very clear to the vast majority of our legislators given the amount of standard emails they received in the last few weeks.

Tomorrow morning on Ocean FM in the North-West there will be a debate on Civil Partnership legislation between Izzy Kamikaze a ‘fearless’ local lesbian and Mary Doherty from  Renew, a fairly new organisation which was linked to the the Donegal Says No Campaign in the Lisbon Referendum. (You may remember the spat recently on Today with Pat Kenny’s Lisbon post mortem programme between the group and Jim McDaid TD.)

Renew was launched officially in May of this year and the launch was addressed by Most Rev Seamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry, Dónal O’Sullivan-Latchford, Family and Media Association, Patrick McCrystal, Human Life International ,  Mary Doherty, Founder of RENEW. (Rumour has it Maman Poulet’s favourite columnist/not quite reactionary, David Quinn from the Iona Institute, was to be there too but I’m not sure if he made it!)

Mary Doherty is an interesting character having run for the Christian Solidarity Party in Donegal in the 2007 election. She is known locally for a number of campaigns including a picket outside a sex shop opened in Letterkenny.

Renew describes itself as a national group ‘valuing dignity and reviving morality’.  The campaign issues for the group include

The promotion and protection of marriage and family life

To influence government legislation which protects and supports family life

The teaching of sex education is primarily the role of the parent and must be taught in accordance with Catholic principles which always respects the child’s natural modesty

The protection of children against sexualisation by the media and the entertainment and commercial industries.

To end the commercialization of human sexuality and the objectification of women through the media, sex industries and on the internet

To lobby the government to strengthen the obscenity laws and to impose heavy sanctions for the breaking of those laws

The regulation of the media and advertising industry by an impartial body, independent of the industries concerned

The interview is due to take place at 9.10am tomorrow on Oceanfm (102.5fm locally and also available online).  If you feel inspired to take part you can text 083 3500 530 tel 0818 365 500 or email studio@oceanfm.ie

It is interesting don’t you think that no other Catholic Church body was invited in to address the meeting or were they? Have Iona suddenly been elevated to Church mouthpiece? In the same way GLEN seem to be regarded as speaking on behalf of the LGB community? (Yes I know they say they don’t and many wish they wouldn’t but you get my drift).

So the ruse that Iona began with on Prime Time a while ago of protecting the parish hall committee a few weeks ago is continuing – this is where someone from Iona says that Civil Partnership legislation should contain a conscientious objection clause because before you know it Jack and Steve will be able to do the indecent thing in the local parish hall and the parish committee won’t be able to object due to equality legislation. In today’s Sunday Times we now have the photographer and the printer mentioned as needing protecting should they refuse to take the photos at a civil partnership or print the invites. Not a lot of mention of the registrars these days because maybe people feel registrars are public servants and should be doing their jobs in the same way nurses and Gardai are expected to serve?

Any organisation or individual who ‘discriminates’ in the provision of employment rights, such as pensions, or who ‘discriminates’ in the provision of goods and services against individuals in a civil partnership will very likely find themselves on the wrong side of the law,� it claims. Iona said policy-makers had a choice of treating belief in “traditional marriage� as a “prejudice�, or protecting that belief as “legitimate�.

Senator Ronan Mullen describes it as a ‘conscience opt out’. Conscience cop out more like.

We all know that Iona Institute would rather not have Civil Partnership legislation introduced at all. But the proposed bill is so basic and non offensive (except of course to a lot of lesbians and gay men) that there is little for them to complain about. So they come along and pretend they are worried about the people who may be paid to provide services at these events who may not wish to do so. I’m wondering why they didn’t mention florists? Or do you think that they realised that most florists would be only delighted? What about wedding planners? Caterers? Hairstylists? Okay I know I’m guilty of stereotyping but I’m just giving you some assistance in seeing through the pile of rubbish that is Iona’s latest ruse.

Back to that FF Parliamentary Party meeting – there were 25 TD’s and senators in attendance and there is allegedly some discord within the party on the bill. Not as much Discord as there is over the proposed Drink Driving legislation and nothing like the discord there should be over NAMA.

David Quinn says that the examples they are giving and case they are making “have happened overseas. This interpretation isn’t some kind of phantasm.�

Lovely new word there phantasm - orgasm of thought for rightwingers?

As a Catholic Priest openly mentions, sympathises and grieves with partner of Stephen Gately and is widely praised for it, the Iona Institute have to dig deeply to raise the ire of traditional catholics in Ireland against any legislation protecting same sex relationships. Sure the local GAA club is now not safe as a traditional area of marital protection since Donal Óg came out. (Ok I know I’m going too far there – my next post will be on the GAA and their role in closet keeping in Ireland. )

So do you think the TD’s were told by GLEN that lots of people are deeply unhappy with the legislation? And that many families are not protected by it?

A Glen delegation addressed the meeting separately. Kieran Rose of Glen described the meeting as “positive, open and friendly�.

He added: “All of the debate was totally reasonable.�

I’m sure it was.

It’s 2009 and time for another survey from the Iona Institute. A new phone survey is reported in today’s Irish Times but I can’t find any questions on same sex relationships in Patsy McGarry’s report but I’m sure they are there or David Quinn will be inferring them throughout the day when he’s on the radio etc. loving the sinners and hating the sin!

Main non talking points…

• 92 per cent of the public support a child’s right to a mother and a father.
• 72 per cent believe parents should decide what is best for children instead of an outside agency, except in cases of abuse or neglect. (ie. no sex education or stay safe programmes or health education.)

• 61% agreed “in general it is better for children if their parents are marriedâ€?. (Apple pie is wonderful also!)

• Eighteen per cent disagreed and 21 per cent had no opinion.

Fine Gaelers were more supportive of marriage followed by FF, Labour, Sinn Fein and Green Supporters. (Resists urge to note that Greens are last on list and make comparisons to renaging on party policy…)

I wait for full publication on the Iona Institute website of the complete report… could be waiting a long time but let us see!

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Deputy Gogarty believes that John Gormley’s words of wisdom to members of the lesbian and gay community at that meeting about lobbying FF have fallen on deaf ears.. (I heard them too…)

‘On a separate note, although I am not Spokesperson for this area, I do recall that our Leader John Gormley asked members of the Irish Gay and Lesbian Community at a special reception to get active on this issue and put pressure on Fianna Fail in particular. This has not happened.’

In the preceding comment Deputy Gogarty made an interesting observation

‘So far there has been no evidence of a campaign by the Gay community and their friends and families to put pressure on this reactionary conservative grouping.

No point in preaching to the converted and then cursing them for trying to be helpful. We are doing our best. But Government is made up of several parties and FF is the biggest by far.’

This is an interesting point and one which I’m sure that members of Marriage Equality and LGBT Noise will repudiate. However I think one should define reactionary conservative grouping… Because to me that means the Iona Institute and not Fianna Fáil. And for me far far too much time has been spent entertaining these people in the letters page of the Irish Times and other places. This crazy gang are a small organisation which has been given the primary opposition status by the responses and attention paid to them by lgb activists.

So has the eye been taken off the ball – the FF ball that is?? Or is this an attempt to lay the blame at the lgbt community by the Green Party laying the ground to diminish expectations and say ‘honest guv it wasn’t us!?’

Remember I’m one of the ones not obsessed by marriage (I’ve already been preached at about this – pardon me for seeking equality and supporting a range of options for family recognition and diversity in Ireland. )

Back to the breaking news…

THE GOVERNMENT is finalising legislation on civil partnerships that will extend many of the same benefits and legal obligations of marriage to same-sex couples, writes CARL O’BRIEN , Social Affairs Correspondent.

However, it will not provide any right for same-sex couples to be considered as joint adoptive parents, despite a strong campaign by gay equality groups.

Under the heads of the new Civil Partnership Bill, which runs to more than 200 pages, same-sex partners will be able to to avail of marriage-like benefits in a range of areas such as property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax.

The dissolution of civil partnerships will also mirror marriage in that applications to dissolve such unions may only be made once both parties have been living apart for four out of the previous five years, just as with traditional divorce applications.

It looks like Green Party officials are fighting to keep any shred of political respect at the moment in heated discussions (well their version of heated discussions – resists urge to make solar powered joke here cos that would be juvenile.)

However, it is understood that last-minute negotiations are ongoing between Green Party and Government officials on whether some form of legal recognition can be provided for gay couples who already parent children, but who have no mechanism to establish a joint legal connection with their child.

So lesbian and gay couples who don’t already parent children but plan to do so in the future won’t be covered? Lock up yer ovaries. Actually maybe that’s the Iona Institute who are trying to help the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform hold the keys?

And David how long do you think you’ll last in this job or is this a job you created for yourself? In the last few years you have worked for the Irish Catholic, The Irish Independent, you jumped to the Daily IRISH Mail, and then back to the Irish Independent.

There has been a lot of talk today in print and on the airwaves about the matters of two parent families etc. But I want to know where the money is coming from for your ‘research’ and as Patricia Casey is producing some of the first of it I’m sure it could be entered for the Booker prize for fiction.

You spent most of your interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM tonight quoting ‘international’ research – ah yes we can all find international research when we want to and make it sound important. And then you said we needed Irish research. If the christian fundamentalist right in the USA are funding the Iona Institute then it won’t be long till the Institute is telling us that lesbians die younger and gay men can’t teach children.

(Maman Poulet is pleased to bring her readers the return of David Quinn watch – for some previous examples see here, here and here – all contributions are welcome in the comments and by email. Oh yes we still need a nickname for him – Myers has one and I call John Waters several things but what should I call Quinn – maybe Gis a Job …?)