Iona Institute

The Iona Institute is a conservative Irish think tank concerned with traditional marriage, religion and society. David Quinn, a journalist and commentator on religious affairs, is the Institute's founder. It was launched publicly in 2007, with psychiatrist Patricia Casey and journalist Breda O'Brien among the patrons. [ [http://www.inter-actions.biz/blog/2007/01/a_warm_welcome_for_the_iona_in.html Creative Strategies for Business blogon the Iona Institute] ] [ [http://daveforsythe.blogspot.com/2007/08/david-quinn-on-mission-from-god.html Bystander blog on David Quinn] ] [ [http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2007/09/ionas-first-conference-will-focus-on.html Clerical Whispers blog on Iona Institute conference] ] [ [http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Novlsx47aKnWjnUpGBy3t6bfpw--?cq=1&tag=single Interview with David Quinn of Iona Institute] ] [ [http://www.village.ie/Religion/Pope/Catholic_Dublin_%27think-tank%27_founder_interviewed_on_international_Catholic_website/ Village Magazine interview with David Quinn] ]

The Institute's mission statement claims that it is dedicated to the "strengthening of civil society" by supporting traditional marriage and religion [ [http://www.ionainstitute.com/marriage.php Iona Institude article on marriage] ] [ [http://www.ionainstitute.com/religious_practice.php Iona Institute on religious practice] ] . It posits that rising crime, family breakdown, drug abuse and other social elements are experienced by a "weakened society" and that such a society would not recognise the importance of marriage and religion unless an evidence-based case is made [ [http://www.ionainstitute.com/home-full.php Iona Institute claiming that it is making an evidence-based case for it's views] ] .

The Institute has also organised a conference in support of denominational education [ [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/DavidQuinn_opening_address_04Apr08.pdf David Quinn's opening address in support of denominational education] ] [ [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/JohnMurray_address_04Apr08.pdf John Murray's defence of denominational education] ] [ [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/FrVTwomey_closing_remarks_04Apr08.pdf Father Vincent Twomey's closing remarks in support of denominational education] ] .

Issues

Marriage

The Iona Institute claims that children fare best when raised by a married mother and father and that children have a right to a mother and father, where possible. It believes that a family based on marriage should receive special help because it is the most pro-child of all social institutions.Fact|date=September 2008

In September 2007, Gay Mitchell MEP hostedFact|date=September 2008 an Institute conference called The Fragmenting FamilyFact|date=September 2008. A later report of the same name drew heavily on data from Census 2006 and claimed that between 1986 and 2006 marital breakdown in Ireland has risen by 500pc. [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0914/1189076331163.html 'Marriage breakdown up 500% in last 20 years', Irish Times, Friday, September 14, 2007]

The following November, the Institute released a policy document entitled ‘Domestic Partnerships: A response to recent proposals on civil unions’, the foreword to which was written by Martin Mansergh TD. [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/civilunionweb.pdf Domestic Partnerships:A response to recent proposals on civil unions, Iona Institute, November 2007]

It argued that while marriage should continue to receive special benefits, other forms of relationship could nonetheless receive certain limited recognition and rights, such as next-of-kin rights and maintenance and property settlement rights. It argued that these benefits should not be restricted simply to those in sexual relationships, but to anyone in a caring, dependent relationship, for example, elderly sisters.

Taxation

In March 2007, Labour Party spokesperson on Finance, Joan Burton TD [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0316/1173880321746.html 'Single income families taxed more, says Burton', Irish Times, March 16, 2007] , launched The Iona Institute’s first policy document, "Tax Individualisation: Time for a Critical Rethink". [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/Tax_Individualisation_Iona_Institute.pdf Tax Individualisation: Time for a Critical Rethink] . The document claimed that families with one parent working in the home were discriminated against by the current tax individualisation policy. The paper advocated an increase in the level of the Home Carer's Allowance.Fact|date=September 2008

Public's knowledge of Christianity

To coincide with Easter 2007, the Institute and the Evangelical Alliance published an opinion poll investigating the level of public knowledge of Christianity, the first such poll of its kind in Ireland. [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/Iona_Religious_knowledge_pollApr07.pdf Religious knowledge poll, Republic of Ireland, The Iona Institute and Evangelical Alliance, April 2007] . The poll showed that a majority of young people were unfamiliar with certain basic aspects of Christian and Catholic teaching, such as transubstantiation [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0409/1175721063841.html 'Survey reveals low level of religious knowledge in young', Irish Times, Monday, April 9, 2007] .

In December 2007, a similar poll performed in Northern Ireland gave similar results. [http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/NI_religion_poll.pdf Northern Ireland religious knowledge poll, Iona Institute and Evangelical Alliance]

Criticism

The Iona Institute has been accused of homophobia because of their opposition to the Irish government recognising same-sex marriages [ [http://www.marriagequality.ie/news/2008/03/04/marriagequality-cochair-sets-out-case-for-gay-and-lesbian-marriage/ Grainne Healy of MarriagEquality criticises Patricia Casey's argument against same-sex marriage] ] [ [http://www.glen.ie/press/letter.html Letter from Christopher Robson of Gay, Lesbian Equality Network criticising the Iona Institute's campaign against same-sex marriage] ] . It has also been accused of disingenuously misinterpreting data coming from surveys on parental preferences in terms of denominational as against non and multi-denominational education models in Ireland to suit their pro-denominational viewpoint. [ [http://www.aggressive-secularist.com/2008/04/ionas-incredible-spin-on-red-c-poll.html Aggressive Secularist's Blog on Iona's interpretation of Red-C poll on opinions on denominational education] ]

References

External links

*David Quinn discussed the project with Ryan Tubridy on his RTÉ Radio One [http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thetubridyshow/1121121.html show of the 24 January 2007] . You can listen to the discussion [http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thetubridyshow/rams/2007/24january.smil here] . The discussion is at 36min 24sec into the show. Real player required.