The Bill to amend Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act – that allows religious schools and hospitals to discriminate on the ground of religion – was discussed in the Seanad this afternoon. Senators Katherine Zappone and Averil Power made strong contributions on the importance of any sanctions being related to specific work-related conduct that […]
Five TDs, including three Party Leaders, today asked the Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dail to report on his recent meeting with Atheist Ireland – Socialists and independents Ruth Coppinger, Joe Higgins and Richard Boyd Barrett; Micheal Martin of Fianna Fail; and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein. Here are the relevant extracts about the Taoiseach’s […]
I discussed Atheist Ireland’s current complaint to RTE, about RTE’s plans to include atheists as part of the daily Angelus broadcast, with George Hook on Newstalk Radio yesterday.
RTE’s Head of Broadcast Compliance has written to Atheist Ireland in response our complaints about the Angelus. We thank RTE for its comprehensive reply, and we welcome that RTE is to reconsider whether the title ‘The Angelus’ remains the best one for modern Ireland. We believe that changing the title would be an important first […]
A major UN Human Rights Committee today told Ireland to stop breaching the human rights of atheists and minority faith citizens in the education system, as well as in abortion law and the ability to vindicate human rights in practice. The UN report vindicates the complaints raised by Atheist Ireland in Geneva two weeks ago […]
Several TDs (Members of Parliament) called for full separation of church and State during a Dail debate this week. The Bill being debated aims to repeal Section 37 of our employment equality law, which permits religious discrimination against LGBT, atheist and other employees in schools and hospitals. The Bill was proposed by Paul Murphy and […]
I debated whether schools should have public worship at assemblies, on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback on Monday.
I spoke yesterday at the launch of a new Bill, proposed by the Anti-Austerity Alliance, to amend the Employment Equality Act to stop religious schools and hospitals from discriminating against LGBTQ and atheist teachers and other staff. The Bill has the support of a wide number of groups, including the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, […]
Archbishop Eamon Martin has indicated there is to be no change in the role of priests in the civil element of marriages despite the passage of the same-sex marriage referendum, as reported by Patsy McGarry in the Irish Times. The Catholic Primate also disputed whether the bishops ever used the word “threat” in discussion of withdrawal […]
The chairs of both of the two major UN Human Rights Committees have now strongly criticised Ireland’s lack of separation of church and state, while reviewing Ireland’s human rights record at sessions in Geneva in which Atheist Ireland participated. This week Waleed Sadi, chair of the ESC Rights Committee, compared Ireland to a developing country, […]