This is Atheist Ireland’s initial response to the proposed Programme for Government agreed jointly by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party. While it is weak on explicit secular policies, some of its commitments would lead to secular specifics if they are implemented while respecting freedom of religion and ...
Despite what some people think, the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018 has not removed the religious discrimination in access to schools in Ireland. Minority faith primary schools and any religious secondary school can still give preference to co-religionists. And Catholic schools can still refuse access to children who they ...
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live until further notice. The best way to take care of yourself and others is to act on reliable, evidence-based information. Within Ireland, the HSE website has reliable information including symptoms and causes, protecting yourself and others, specific hospital information, and minding your mental ...
The NCCA has published a draft Primary Curriculum Framework for consultation. Atheist Ireland will soon be publishing our response to this document. But first, we want to highlight an example of how the Catholic Church infiltrates its theological language into secular documents like this. What the NCCA document says The ...
The Department of Education spends €9.8 million per year on 156 Chaplains in ETB schools, which are supposed to be the State-run alternative to denominational schools, even though the ETBs claim that there is no religious instruction in the schools. The €9.8 million is paid to help Catholic and Church of ...
The Joint Managerial Body (JMB) for second level Religious schools has issued revised Guidelines for the ‘Inclusion of Other Beliefs in Catholic Secondary Schools’. These revised Guidelines undermine the rights of minorities. They are based on fear and control dressed up in the language of inclusion. The Catholic Church is ...
In Ireland children have a Constitutional Right to not attend any religious teaching or activities. The Constitution obliges the State to respect the inalienable right of parents to ensure that the teaching of their children is in conformity with their convictions. The Constitution also guarantees that all citizens are equal ...
The NCCA is reviewing the state courses on relationship and sex education in schools. It has already issued a Draft Report. Unfortunately, this Draft Report does not follow through on its commitment to human rights standards in the delivery of RSE in Irish schools, and it does not recommend amending ...
In a speech called “The future of Ireland Human rights and children’s rights”, the former President Mary McAleese said that she wanted to come to the debate over education in a different way from the usual arguments about integrated education, reduction of Catholic school patronage, or how to provide opt-outs ...
Last week the European Court found that the exemption procedure from a Religion class in Greek schools placed an undue burden on parents with a risk of exposure of sensitive aspects of their private life. The Court went on to say that the potential for conflict was likely to deter ...
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