Irish survey highlights importance of marriage and family

(Vatican Radio) This week the Irish Catholic Care Service, ACCORD published the results of a 2014 independent survey conducted on marriage and family in the country.The study found that marriage as an institution has strong support in Ireland with fewer people believing that the importance of family is decreasing. 

In 2014 54% disagreed that being married is “old-fashioned or out-moded”, and 65% of people agreed that a child is more likely to grow up happy if raised in a home with a loving mother and father. 

Listen to Lydia O'Kane's interview with Bishop Denis Nulty, of Kildare and Leighlin who is President of ACCORD, the Irish Church agency supporting marriage and family life.

Bishop Denis Nulty, of Kildare and Leighlin is President of ACCORD, the Irish Church agency supporting marriage and family life. He spoke to Lydia O’Kane about the findings of the research saying, there is “a great endorsement of marriage as an institution, maybe not as high as I might like it to be but it’s there and it’s also showing in Ireland the very strong belief in the concept of family.”

Bishop Nulty also said that there are challenges to marriage and family life in Ireland, not least from secularisation, therefore, he added the Church and ACCORD are there to be strong and to support marriage “which is strongly believed in by the people of Ireland.”

ACCORD, Catholic Marriage Care Service currently operates in 55 centres throughout the island of Ireland, helping couples prepare for marriage; and providing support for couples and individuals through its Marriage and Relationship Counselling Service.