Hollywood actor Cillian Murphy has openly criticised the “negative” use of children and their welfare in the upcoming marriage referendum.
The Cork actor who is a patron of the NUIG Child and Family Research Centre, has released a joint statement with NUI Galway professor Pat Dolan over the “unfair” involvement of children’s issues in the debate.
“The forthcoming same sex marriage referendum relates to adults’ human right to marry whom they chose regardless of sexual orientation.
Unfair: Cillian has said it’s “unfair” to use children’s issues in the debate | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Divisive negative issues raised in relation to children and their welfare are being used to deflect from the core question in the referendum,” they said in the statement.
“The position of the Unesco Child and Family Research Centre at NUIG and its patron is that the most essential factor for a child or adolescent is that they have a loving, consistent and caring parent or parents who cater for their physical, intellectual, emotional, and social needs.
“This point of view is supported by a wealth of well-respected international research,” they added.
Professor Dolan did highlight that neither he nor the Peaky Blinders star were suggesting to vote a certain way but believed children’s issues should be treated separately.
Patron: Cillian is a patron of NUIG Child and Family Research Centre | VIPIRELAND.COM
Last year, the 38-year-old participated in a film screening and discussion on family, relationships and the community at the Unesco centre in Galway.
The Batman Begins actor had previously participated in training young researchers in the centre as well as working with groups on various mental health issues.
“The centre’s position is the achievement of young people’s rights requires that their hopes and wishes for their future be realised regardless of their sexual orientation, and inclusive of their rights to marry,” they said.
“Despite the fact that our centre has trained young researchers with a view on this matter, it is notable that just as in the case of the Children’s Referendum in 2013, the voice and opinion of young people is in the main absent in the discourse, despite adults purporting to represent their interests.”
