70% believe children have right to be raised by own parents

A new opinion poll has found that 70% of people believe that children have a right to be raised by their own mother and father.

The poll, conducted by Amárach Research for The Iona Institute, found that only 8% disagreed with the statement, while the remainder said they neither agreed nor disagreed.

Speaking on behalf of The Iona Institute, Prof. Patricia Casey said the fact the majority of respondents believe a child has a right to be raised by their own mother and father means “the Government and the opposition parties are completely out of step with public opinion”.

“The Children and Family Relationships Bill attaches no special value at all to motherhood and fatherhood, which is why it is completely indifferent as to whether or not children are raised by their own mothers and fathers, or any mother and father,” she said.

Prof. Casey described the Bill as “the most radical piece of family law reform in the history of the State”. “It has been rushed through the Oireachtas with almost no debate. This is a terrible reflection on the state of Irish parliamentary democracy at present,” she said.