Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join in the tributes to the late Derek Davis and extend our sympathies to his wife, Una, and his family. My first recollection of him was as a newsreader in RTE. He always signed off on the night with a funny joke or comment. I was struck by a recent interview in which he outlined his trouble with obesity. He had to go to the extent of having an operation to try to lose weight. I hope that made no contribution to his sudden death. Perhaps we need to have a broader discussion on obesity. Some people are naturally overweight and should not be referred to as obese.

Will the Deputy Leader invite the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly, to the House in order that he can outline the reason for the cut of almost €400,000 in the budget of the marriage advisory and counselling agency, Accord? The agency provides excellent counselling to people before they get married in pre-marriage courses and to people when their marriage is in difficulty. Accord also offers bereavement counselling. The counselling service is very worthwhile and necessary.

It is ironic that at a time when the Government is promoting marriage equality that it is cutting funding to organisations that are trying to maintain marriages in difficulty. When the Government was caught out in that regard yesterday, it then issued a statement in the evening stating that all marriage advisory services were being cut. I do not think that is acceptable. I hope the Government's heavy-handed measure is not due to Accord being a Catholic organisation. That is not a religious comment. It is a very serious comment on the maintenance of marriage in this country. The cutback in funding to Accord and other organisations that provide much needed advice to people at a time of difficulty in their relationships is appalling and it is undermining marriage. Perhaps the Deputy Leader could get in contact with the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and invite him to the House in order to assure us that this is not an attempt to get back at an organisation because of a particular stance it is taking on the forthcoming referendum on same-sex marriage.