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...
The Irish Constitution requires the President to take a religious oath in order to take office. In a recent interview with BBC Radio Ulster the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins said that, in a new Ireland, “one should just affirm” (that is, make a...
Atheist Ireland has been working for several years on the issue of objective versus Catholic sex education in Irish schools. If you want to understand more about the issue, you can read our submissions and articles linked below. The Department of Education supports the integration...
In Ireland atheists, humanists and the non-religious cannot take high office because of the requirement to take a religious oath in our Constitution. Atheist Ireland runs a ‘One Oath For All’ campaign, to enable conscientious atheists to hold the office of President, Judge, Taoiseach, or...
Atheist Ireland has sent the following letter to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Dear BAI, We understand that RTE is reporting itself to the BAI for breaching your Code of Programme Standards regarding a comedy sketch broadcast on its New Years Eve Countdown show. While...
The right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief is one of the foundations of a democratic society. We have listed in this article over 150 religions that are recognised in Ireland, and ten nonreligious philosophical convictions that Human Rights law gives the same status...
RTE, the National Broadcaster, has apologised for any offence that may have been caused by a Waterford Whispers News sketch on New Year’s Eve Countdown show. The Catholic Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin had complained that the item was offensive and blasphemous. Atheist Ireland has...
Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin has called on RTE to immediately remove a television clip which he says it is offensive, outrageous, and blasphemous. He was complaining about RTE’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Show, which included a mock news review by Waterford Whispers News. The mock...
The UN Human Rights Committee has raised the Irish education system and religious oaths in its List of Issues under the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights. They raised the right to freedom of religion and belief in the Irish Education system. Atheist Ireland...
An organisation can qualify for charitable status in Ireland if its stated purpose is the advancement of religion. This combines with other laws on the funding of political activity to give unjust privilege to politically active religions and their support groups. Meanwhile, weaknesses in the...