Displaying items by tag: Ireland

Friday, 07 July 2017 15:13

Ireland: anti-Christian persecution

Christianity, no matter what form it takes, has now become unacceptable to the political and media establishments. The Bishops of Ireland call it 'a kind of persecution'. Viewed from a distance, anti-Christian activity might seem to have undergone merely an increase in intensity. But a closer inspection reveals that something more fundamental has changed. It is more subtle, taking the form of gradual exclusion of Church people or Christian activities from the public space. There is denigration of religious beliefs, practices and institutions on radio, television and on social and other media. There is often a focus on bad news about the Church, to the almost total exclusion of good news. The message is clear, in Ireland and in Britain alike: the persecution of the Christian faith has been ratcheted up a notch.

Published in British Isles

Ashers Baking Company, a Christian bakery in Belfast which was sued by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and found guilty of discrimination by refusing to bake a cake supporting same-sex marriage, has reported record profits. These topped £1.5 million last year, an annual increase of more than £170,000. In 2014, the McArthur family who own and run Ashers turned down the cake order because they said the slogan on the cake conflicted with their Christian belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. The Equality Commission sued them, and the bakery lost the legal fight a year later. According to the Christian Institute, which is backing the company, the McArthur family is in the process of appealing to the UK Supreme Court.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 21 April 2017 01:59

Irish government to shut down pro-life clinic

Ireland’s health minister said he is determined to shut down a pro-life crisis pregnancy centre run by Human Life International (HLI) after an undercover video sting by The Times of Ireland found pro-life counsellors linking abortion to trauma, breast cancer, and long-term regret. ‘I have been very clear that I want to see these agencies shut down. It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. It’s not even false or misleading, it’s just wrong and disgusting so-called information being presented to women in extremely vulnerable situations.’ he told reporters. Another group, the Catholic Support Service (which is not connected to HLI), was also featured in the video. The outrage expressed by The Times and the health minister is interesting given that the majority of the claims made by the counsellors are true. Common sexually transmitted diseases that cause death if left untreated include AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis. Three different pro-life centres, each run by different organisations, are now in the government's crosshairs.

Published in Europe
Friday, 03 March 2017 10:50

Ash Wednesday innovation

An Ash Wednesday ‘drive-through’ at a church in Ireland proved very popular with busy commuters. Queues of drivers waited to receive ceremonial ashes on their foreheads at St Patrick’s Church in Glenmaddy, County Galway, during the busy morning rush hour. Father Paddy Mooney said the idea of the drive-through blessing was to help people unable to attend Mass. It targeted the sick, those with difficulty walking, people going to work, or families on their way to school. A driveway for Catholics marking the start of the Lent season led right past the front door of the church. Father Mooney and others stood outside and leaned through car windows to placed an ash cross on each occupant’s forehead. Parish secretary Breda Keaveney said: ‘It was so reverent and so respectful. There was just a wonderful atmosphere.’

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 10 February 2017 10:51

Many Irish pensions cut

36,000 people, two-thirds of them women, have had their Irish state pensions cut by as much as €1,500 (£1,275) a year, as a result of changes introduced in 2012. While those entitled to a full pension have been unaffected by the changes, many of those who would have been in line for smaller pensions have lost out. Justin Moran of Age Action said, ‘It is a myth that the state pension was protected by the last government. It was cut, drastically cut, for tens of thousands of older people.’ In 2012 the government changed the eligibility criteria for a full pension, arguing that the changes were necessary to protect ‘core payments’ and ensure sustainability of the state pension; but one side effect of the changes has been to diminish the entitlements of some 36,000 pensioners. Women, who historically would have spent more time out of the workforce, have been hit particularly hard.

Published in British Isles
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Friday, 20 January 2017 09:11

Eire faces bus dispute

The country is facing the possibility of a major industrial dispute across bus and rail services in the state-owned transport sector over a radical survival plan for Bus Éireann. Unions last night claimed that cuts to premium payments, overtime rates and other allowances proposed as part of the new management plan could lead to a 25 per cent reduction in earnings for staff. However, the firm argued that its financial position was unsustainable and that, without decisive action to tackle its cost base and inefficiencies, it would go out of business. The company has signalled that its plan could involve redundancies or layoffs, and also proposed that in future casual drivers and contractors could be used as cover for existing staff. The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) described the proposals as ‘stomach-churning’. It said the proposed pay rises were insulting, given the level of overall cuts involved in the package.

Published in British Isles
Saturday, 07 January 2017 03:02

Patients on trolleys crisis in Eire

On Tuesday 3 January a record number of 612 patients in Irish hospitals had to be accommodated on trolleys, falling to 602 the following day. The figures have led to a political outcry, with Labour health spokesman Alan Kelly describing them as a ‘national emergency’. The Department of Health have said the increase in cases of flu and winter-related illnesses is to blame. However, a number of doctors and nurses have said that this increase is only partially responsible for the number of patients on trolleys, and that the system has long been in need of an overhaul. The minister for health, Simon Harris, said that increased opening hours and support services for nursing homes are being considered, as ways of keeping flu patients at home rather than transferring them to hospitals. He also acknowledged the need to recruit more nurses.

Published in British Isles
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