History: 2005

Projects undertaken in 2005

Some of the projects undertaken in 2005

Controversies

The controversy raised its familiar head again when Health Minister Mary Harney publicly supported the provision of the morning-after-pill to eleven-year-olds. M&CC pointed out the irresponsibility of the Minister’s comments in several media interviews.

The Catholic pregnancy counseling agency, Cura, also became embroiled in controversy when it became publicly known that it has instructed its members to use a Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) leaflet directing mothers towards abortion referral agencies.

M&CC called for Cura to dissociate from the CPA, and for funding to be re-directed through the Department of Health and not through the obviously abortion-friendly CPA. M&CC also produced a detailed report on the CPA /Cura controversy for the Irish Bishops' Conference and also sent a copy to the Vatican.

The Bishops Conference subsequently asked Cura to desist from using the CPA leaflets.

Read our submission to the Bishops Conference here

Pro-life materials

Updating and printing educational pro-life material is an essential element of the activities of 6 Gardiner Place, and it keeps us very busy. In 2005 we brought high-quality pro-life information on the many facets of the pro-life issue to hundreds of thousands of people.

CAHR report

The Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR) released its report making recommendations to the government regarding the regulation of biotechnology and fertility treatments in Ireland. These recommendations, if implemented, would make Ireland one of the most liberal countries in the world in relation to embryo abuse.

Your Baby & You!

M&C launched a new initiative to reach women as early as possible in their pregnancies. A small compact booklet for inclusion in pregnancy tests, or display on chemist shelves, Your Baby and You detailed the amazing transformations that take place in the womb during pregnancy. The booklet would come as a wonderful surprise to the women who take a pregnancy test at four to eight weeks.

It described in detail the growth of the baby in all its natural wonder as well as gives handy tips to the expectant mother. The booklet was sent to chemists all over Ireland, and to maternity hospitals and community centres. An accompanying website, www.yourbabyandyou.org website was also launched.

September - M&CC’s Family First Project

Without strong families society crumbles, yet Irish taxation policy (and many other state policies) does not favour the family. It had been proposed that the November Budget would deepen the discrimination caused by tax individualisation (where a family with just one income pays up to €7000 in additional taxes every year). Various quangos had proposed that the government should give a monthly payment to families with children – but only to those families who used crèches and other commercial childcare. Full-time parents were to be excluded.

M&CC saw the need for a project that would fulfill three major objectives:

Reach out to families and inform them of the discrimination they endured, since many families were unaware of these penalties.

Get as many people as possible to look for a better deal for all families in the Budget; in particular, campaigning for families with full-time mums or dads to be included in any State assistance to meet the costs of caring for children.
Begin a momentum that will ultimately lead to the reversal of anti-family policies introduced by successive governments. The most immediate requirement would be to scrap tax individualisation
Thanks to some intensive campaigning using leaflets, booklets, press ads, and a website encouraging families to lobby the Minister, we won through for the Budget proposition. Lots more to do though!