David Quinn is a popular Irish commentator and Chief Executive of the Iona Institute. He spoke to me about two referendums that could redefine marriage in Ireland – again. One seeks to replace the term ‘mothers’ with ‘carers’, potentially undermining the traditional family unit, while the other proposes equating ‘durable relationships’ with marriage, challenging its unique constitutional status. He explains further in our conversation here.
David highlights the ambiguity of ‘durable relationships’ and the shift from ‘mothers’ to ‘carers’, impacting traditional family structures. “A lot of couples”, David says, “cohabit specifically to avoid the rights and obligations of marriage”. He is concerned that a lack of clear definitions could lead to recognising polyamorous ‘durable relationships’.
David critically observes, “Ireland is a multi-party but one ideology state”, commenting on the cross-party push towards redefining family structures. He questions the Irish Government’s stance that ‘family diversity’ is inherently positive, especially with “40% and rising children being born outside of marriage… what that means is fewer children having contact with their fathers”.
But David has some reassurance that this denigration of the family cannot keep on going indefinitely. He says, “I think it has to burn itself out” because “they keep overreaching” and “what they’re doing is so against human welfare”.
These referendums represent another critical juncture for real marriage supporters in Ireland. At C4M, we urge all taking part to vote for the thing that has proven to deliver best outcomes for society, by maintaining the constitutional uniqueness of mothers and marriage.