Atheist Ireland | Lobbying Archives

15/01/2018 Atheist Ireland

FOI documents reveal Atheist Ireland’s impact on review of religion in ETB schools

Based on new documents obtained under Freedom of Information Act, and on our meeting with the Department of Education last month, Atheist Ireland is optimistic that the Minister for Education will soon issue a Circular Letter about the timetabling of religion in ETB schools, that we requested the Minister to ...

06/01/2018 Atheist Ireland

The SIPO law was strengthened in 2015 to deal with Youth Defence. It needs to be strengthened further.

The SIPO law was strengthened in 2015, to deal with Youth Defence’s refusal to comply with it, after Youth Defence had published billboard advertisements showing images of young, distraught women and foetuses, and carrying slogans such as ‘Abortion tears her life apart.’ It is now essential that the SIPO law is ...

02/01/2018 Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland calls for secular polling stations and stronger SIPO laws for referendums

The Citizens' Assembly will this month be considering the manner in which referendums are run. Atheist Ireland has made the following submission, calling for a secular environment in polling stations, and financial limits and accountability for campaigners. 1. Introduction Atheist Ireland is an Irish advocacy group. We promote atheism and ...

21/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Why Atheist Ireland supports repeal, not replacement, of the eighth amendment

Atheist Ireland welcomes the Oireachtas Committee recommendation to have a referendum to repeal, not replace, the constitutional ban on abortion. It is important that the Government allows us to vote on this question as soon as is practicable. Our policy is that society should address ethical issues based on human ...

18/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland can endorse the integrity and consistency of the SIPO Commission

Amnesty International Ireland says that the SIPO Commission told Amnesty in 2016 that a €137,000 donation complied with the law, then SIPOC changed its mind about this in 2017. Amnesty says that it has no idea why SIPOC changed its mind. SIPOC says that it didn’t change its mind, and ...

12/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

We must strengthen the SIPO law to cover political activities by religions

Atheist Ireland yesterday published this Report on the issue of strengthening the SIPO law on donations to Third Parties for political purposes. We have now sent our Report to all TDs and Senators, and to the SIPO Commission. We have also written to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local ...

11/12/2017 Atheist Ireland

We must strengthen, not subvert, the SIPO law on funding of political activity

Amnesty International Ireland is refusing to obey the law on funding of political purposes. They are refusing to return an illegal donation from America to help to repeal the eighth amendment. Amnesty is mistaken in taking this position, both ethically and practically. Atheist Ireland is also a civil society body. ...

08/07/2017 Atheist Ireland

Irish Atheists, Evangelicals and Ahmadi Muslims will jointly address UN this week about Pakistan

In the coming week, Irish Atheists, Evangelicals and Ahmadi Muslims will be jointly challenging human rights abuses in Pakistan, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. We will be speaking out for persecuted religious and nonreligious minorities living in Pakistan, who are afraid to speak out themselves. On Monday July ...

07/06/2017 Atheist Ireland

Irish Atheists, Evangelicals and Ahmadiyya Muslims jointly challenge Pakistan human rights abuses at United Nations

For the first time ever, Irish Atheists, Evangelicals and Ahmadiyya Muslims are jointly challenging human rights abuses in Pakistan at the United Nations. Yesterday we made a written submission to the UN, which is now on the UN website, and in July we will be addressing the UN Human Rights ...

20/04/2017 Atheist Ireland

The new National Maternity Hospital board and the Vatican Charter for Healthcare Workers

Much of the commentary about the new National Maternity Hospital has focussed on money. It is of course outrageous that the State would gift a brand new hospital, worth hundred of millions of euro, to a religious order which still owes millions of euro to the redress scheme for those it abused. ...