Madam, - The Iona Institute (Letters, November 21st) seems to have a strangely reductive view of marriage, and why the state should recognise it. Apparently its really about child welfare and nothing else: "adult sexual intimacy" is an entirely inadequate reason.
How about love, and commitment, and mutual support, and shared ideals, and shared responsibilities, and caring for one's partner in illnesses, up to death? The state has a vested interest also in supporting all of these, long after the children, if any, have flown the nest (even a financial interest, if one bothers to do the sums).
In its focus on child welfare as the sole reason for recognising marriage, the Iona Institute, presumably inadvertently, does provide one very strong argument for allowing a great many lesbian and gay couples to marry now. Throughout the country, such couples are already bringing up children. Many of these couples do indeed need the mutual protections and responsibilities of marriage to ensure that their children have a secure family with two recognised parents. Most single parents do a wonderful job, but if there is a second parent on hand it's absurd not to recognise her or him.
It should not be the function of the state to tell adult citizens whom they can or cannot marry. Even less the function of the Iona Institute. - Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER ROBSON, Chelmsford Avenue, Dublin 6.