Atheist Ireland raises religious discrimination with the UN Human Rights Committee
The United Nations Human Rights Committee is questioning Ireland in July about our human rights record under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or ICCPR. Atheist Ireland has made the following submission about Freedom of Conscience, Religion, and Belief. You can also read it here on the United Nations ...
The right to not attend religious instruction and the misuse of public funds in Irish schools
Since last year Atheist Ireland has been raising the issue of the misuse of public funds in Irish schools that do not respect the constitutional condition of state funding that children have a right to not attend religious instruction. Following the Minister for Education's recent misleading Dail reply about this, ...
Review of Termination of Pregnancy Act
Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. Which parts of the Act have not operated well? Conscientious objection: Nearly 50% of maternity hospitals do not provide full abortion services, and conscientious objection may be ...
Amend Employment Equality Act, say Atheist Ireland and IHREC
The Department of Justice is reviewing the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Acts. Atheist Ireland made a Submission which you can find here. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also made a submission, which you can find here. Atheist Ireland’s recommendations include: “Amend the Employment Equality Act 1998 and ...
Amend Equal Status Act, say Atheist Ireland and IHREC
The Department of Justice is reviewing the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Acts. Atheist Ireland made a Submission which you can find here. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also made a submission, which you can find here. Under the Equal Status Act schools can refuse access to a ...
Defence Forces report calls for updating Chaplaincy and ending Catholic masses at induction
Atheist Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance of Ireland, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland welcome that the Report of the Commission of the Defence Forces, published yesterday, has recommended that: A number of outdated practices should be discontinued, including but not limited to the convening of a Roman Catholic mass ...
Minister for Education replies to Atheist Ireland about religion in schools and anti-abortion video
The Minister for Education Norma Foley has replied to a letter from Atheist Ireland about the right to not attend religious instruction in schools and a recent anti-abortion video shown in a school. Here is the Minister's reply and our reply to her. Letter from Minister for Education to Atheist ...
Another busy year for Atheist Ireland
Atheist Ireland has had another busy year, culminating in our Annual General Meeting yesterday which was held online. Here is a summary of some of our activities over the past twelve months. As well as the national activities below, we support atheist and secular groups in other countries to challenge ...
Atheist Ireland asks Government to amend the Equality Acts to protect nonreligious beliefs
Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the Department of Justice's consultation on the review of the Equality Acts. You can make a submission yourself, before 29th November, after reading the details on the Department's website. Please feel free to include points that we have made in our submission. ...
The Frontline Workers Public Holiday should not be linked with religion
Atheist Ireland has sent the following letter to the Taoiseach and members of the Cabinet. The purpose of the new public holiday is to mark the efforts of frontline workers during the Covid pandemic. The most obvious way to do that is to call it the Frontline Workers Public Holiday, ...