Fewer than 33% of us think parents 'ought to be married'

The Catholic counseling service Accord has released results of a survey on marriage that found that fewer than one in three people think that "couples who have children ought to be married".

The Catholic counselling service Accord has released results of a survey on marriage that found that fewer than one in three people think that "couples who have children ought to be married".

The survey also found that 65% of people believe a child is more likely to grow up happy if raised in a home with a loving mother and father.

The survey, carried out by Amarach Research, also found that just 51% said that most married couples they knew had happy healthy marriages.

The Chairman of Accord has rejected suggestions that its latest survey "political".

The question on growing up happy was not included the last time the survey was conducted in 2006 and Chairman of Accord, Bishop Denis Nulty admits an alternative answer was not given.

However, he said the survey has nothing to do with the upcoming referendum on same sex marriage.