The Irish Times today published this letter by Atheist Ireland calling for equality for atheists in Irish schools. Sir, – Ireland has long had a political “nod and wink” culture of pretending that certain laws don’t mean what they say. We must overcome this if we are to develop a school system that respects equally […]
Update: PZ Myers has now closed down the social interaction aspect of his blog, after blaming his commenters for attacking an insider in the way that he has always encouraged them to attack outsiders. He also complains that FreeThought Blogs itself is ‘less a unified group than a disparate collection of loosely affiliated blogs that have […]
Special Needs Assistants must evangelise vulnerable children in State-funded Irish schools. It is not an occupational requirement of a Special Needs Assistant to teach religion, but they still must be prepared to evangelise vulnerable children into a religious way of life. This is a breach of the right of atheist and minority faith Special Needs Assistants […]
Atheist Ireland has produced a report that explains how Irish school teachers must be Catholic missionaries. The vast majority of publicly funded schools in Ireland are controlled by the Catholic Church, and if you want to get a job as a teacher you have to: (a) have a Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies, which has as […]
Telegraph writer Andrew Gilligan misrepresents Abdullah al Andalusi of the Muslim Debate Initiative, by implying that Abdullah is a sympathiser for ISIS and terrorism. This claim contradicts Abdullah’s public talks and writings, as well as private conversations with me and other members of Atheist Ireland. Andrew’s Telegraph article, titled “By day, at heart of counter-terror policing. And […]
The Irish Government is proposing a Bill to protect LGBT teachers, while allowing discrimination against atheist and minority faith teachers. Atheist Ireland is campaigning to change this Bill so that it protects all teachers equally. This is a rare opportunity to change an unjust law and promote equality. here’s how you can help. Share the above image […]
Atheist Ireland has made a report to the Council of Europe about the Louise O’Keeffe judgment last year in the European Court of Human Rights, a ruling that has implications for all of the human rights that are breached by religiously-run national schools in Ireland. We are asking the Council of Europe to not close […]
After today’s Seanad debate, the Bill to protect teachers from religious discrimination in schools will still not protect atheist or religious minority teachers at all, including Protestant or Muslim teachers, who cannot access the teaching profession in Ireland. Atheist Ireland will be conducting an intensive lobbying campaign about this between now and when the Bill […]
Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan said yesterday that she was particularly motivated to protect LGBT teachers from discrimination, when some LGBT teachers were afraid to have their photographs taken with the President for fear that action would be taken against them in their schools. But last February, at a meeting with Atheist Ireland, an atheist student […]
The Labour Party seems to have forgotten the pledge in the Programme for Government to protect non-faith and minority faith teachers along with publicly out LGBT teachers, despite the Labour Party claiming political ownership of that particular Government commitment. A Labour Party press release today is now selectively recasting it as a pledge to protect […]