Education minister repeats pledge to change law if necessary to ensure inclusive sex education
In the Dail yesterday Donnchadh O’Laoghaire from Sinn Fein asked the Minister for Education about sex education in schools. The Catholic Bishops have introduced a course called Flourish to primary schools. Flourish is Catholic sex education, and the programme is to be taught alongside curriculum Relationship and Sexuality education. Here ...
Sinn Féin supports changes in law to ensure that inclusive sex education is delivered uniformly
Sinn Féin supports changes in the law to ensure that inclusive sex education is delivered uniformly across all schools regardless of the religious ethos of the patron. The party has told Atheist Ireland that: "Sinn Féin share your view that, legislative reform of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools ...
Solidarity and People Before Profit TDs say Objective Sex Education Bill must be passed
Solidarity and People Before Profit TDs say the Oireachtas should pass their Objective Sex Education Bill, to ensure that school ethos cannot influence the delivery of sex education by the Catholic Bishops in their role as patrons of most of our schools. Paul Murphy TD introduced the Bill in 2018. ...
Thomas Pringle TD calls for inclusive sex education not the Catholic Flourish course
Independent TD Thomas Pringle has called for age appropriate, inclusive, and diverse relationship and sex education in Irish schools. He says: “Get your rosaries off our ovaries.” How long has this slogan been around Ireland? From hospitals to schools and everywhere in between we have the evidence of the Catholic ...
Labour wants Citizens’ Assembly to resolve school ethos and sex education, says Ivana Bacik
The Labour Party has called for the Government to commit as a priority to convening a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education to examine a range of issues, including the relationship between Church and State after the publication of the new Catholic Church RSE programme. Senator Ivana Bacik has ...
Parents in Cork want objective sex education, not the Catholic Flourish course
A group of parents in Cork are organising to challenge the Catholic Bishops sex education course ‘Flourish’ in their children’s Primary schools. The Catholic Bishops plan to teach their new course alongside syllabus Social, Personal and Health education in schools. The parents say: “We're a group of concerned parents in ...
New Atheist Ireland report – Schools are defying new law on admission policies
A new Atheist Ireland report shows that schools are defying a new law on admission policies. Carl O'Brien of the Irish Times has written about this report this morning. Section 62.7(n) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to publish an admission policy which will include details ...
Seanad does not pass Bill to allow big-money donations between elections
Atheist Ireland is pleased that the Seanad did not pass a Bill yesterday that would have enabled people and groups other than politicians to raise money for political purposes without the safeguards in the SIPO laws. Several Senators quoted concerns raised by Atheist Ireland. Instead, the arguments for and against ...
Dail debates Dying with Dignity Bill
The Dail debated the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 this week. Gino Kenny TD of Solidarity - People Before Profit proposed it as a private members bill. It would only allow for assisted dying in cases where a person is of sound mind and is suffering from a terminal illness. ...
Please ask your TDs to ensure that all abuse victims in Louise O’Keeffe case get compensation
Please contact your local TDs and ask them to ensure that all the victims of abuse in Irish schools, similar to that in the Louise O'Keeffe case, get justice and compensation. The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has apologised to victims of abuse in day schools. But the State has for the ...