Another UN Committee tells Ireland to end all religious discrimination in education
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 ...
The requirement in the Electoral Act to take a religious oath is a breach of human rights
The Electoral Act 1992 obliges persons to object publicly to taking a religious oath before they are offered an affirmation. The requirement to publicly object to taking a religious oath before you are offered an affirmation is a breach of human rights. Last July the UN Human Rights Committee reminded ...
The State is giving religious privilege to the Catholic Marriage Agency Accord
The Government has cut the funding of Accord, a Catholic Marriage Agency by €378,000 for pre-marriage courses. But despite this cut in funding, Accord will continue to receive State funding for their other services which are all based on the beliefs of one specific religion. Accord offers various services according ...
The National Council for Curriculum & Assessment has a positive obligation to protect human rights
Atheist Ireland recently met with the NCCA and presented them with a Document named; Respecting the philosophical convictions of atheist/secular families in the education system. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment are developing a course on Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics (ERB). Given the legal framework in ...
The School Admissions Bill will institutionalise religious discrimination
The proposed new Education (Admissions) to Schools Bill will not remove religious discrimination from our education system and protect human rights. Despite the requirement that the Admissions policies of schools will be obliged to include a statement that they shall not discriminate on religion, publicly funded National schools can still ...
Are “Catholic first” Admission Policies unconstitutional? Equality Authority report endorses Atheist Ireland arguments
Atheist Ireland’s ongoing campaign to ensure that publicly funded schools do not discriminate on religious grounds is picking up pace, with our arguments effectively endorsed by both the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission, the two bodies that have recently merged to form the new Irish Human Rights ...
Why is everyone so surprised that the Catholic Church won’t divest schools or respect human rights?
It is increasingly clear that the Catholic Church will not divest any schools to other patron bodies unless they are forced to do so. In fact they have reinforced their position of opposing human rights standards in education, by rejecting the Toledo Guiding Principles. Even Prof John Coolahan (Chair of ...
Draft General Scheme of Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013 does not remove religious discrimination in access to schools.
In September 2013 the government published a Draft General Scheme for an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, as well as Draft Regulations. The proposed Education (Admission to Schools) Bill will not remove religious discrimination in access to schools or provide non discriminatory exemptions that would suit the wishes of parents. ...
Atheist Ireland X-Mass Party 2014
A night of festive fun. We'll start off in the Third Space on Smithfield Square and then head to Oscar's Bar for a late drink. The party is free for members of Atheist Ireland and €10 for non-members, but you can join on the evening for €25. There will be ...
Will we have to vote on blasphemy with religious oaths, Bibles and symbols in polling stations?
Last July in their Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Ireland, the UN Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and & Political Rights stated the following: “The State party should take concrete steps to amend articles 12, 31 and 34 of the Constitution that require ...