General

6 May 2020

Homework Pass ruling has lessons for the state, school boards, principals, and teachers

A recent case at the Workplace Relations Commission has found that Yellow Furze National School in Meath discriminated on religious grounds against a family that had no religious belief. The school claimed at the WRC that the case was unfounded. Most schools are unable to...

1 May 2020

WRC rules that ‘homework pass for mass’ is religious discrimination

The Workplace Relations Commission has found that Yellow Furze National School in Meath discriminated on religious grounds against a family, in a case that Atheist Ireland raised publicly last September. The school is under Catholic patronage, and it gave homework passes to children who attended...

29 April 2020

Catholic schools defying new law by not including opt-out details in admissions policies

The Catholic Church is still trying to undermine the right of parents to opt their children out of religion classes. They are now trying to ensure that the arrangements for opting out are kept secret and that parents are not consulted. This is contrary to...

25 April 2020

How can a five-year-old child undermine a school’s religious ethos?

Despite what some people think, the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018 has not removed the religious discrimination in access to schools in Ireland. Minority faith primary schools and any religious secondary school can still give preference to co-religionists. And Catholic schools can still refuse...

15 April 2020

FF and FG’s new social contract must be based on equal freedom of religion and belief

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s proposed framework for government aims to create new, credible, quality-of-life measures of individual and societal wellbeing and progress. They are correct to focus on economic recovery, healthcare, housing, education, climate action, young people, and global citizenship. They are also correct...

22 March 2020

Take care of yourself and others during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live until further notice. The best way to take care of yourself and others is to act on reliable, evidence-based information. Within Ireland, the HSE website has reliable information including symptoms and causes, protecting yourself and others, specific...

28 January 2020

Fine Gael responses to General Election questions from Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland has asked political parties and candidates running in the General Election on 8th February to answer ten questions regarding secular issues. Here are the responses from Fine Gael. 1. One Oath For All Will you support amending the Constitution to enable the President,...

26 January 2020

Solidarity responses to General Election questions from Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland has asked political parties and candidates running in the General Election on 8th February to answer ten questions regarding secular issues. Here are the responses from Solidarity. 1. One Oath For All Will you support amending the Constitution to enable the President, Judges,...

26 January 2020

Labour Party responses to General Election questions from Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland has asked political parties and candidates running in the General Election on 8th February to answer ten questions regarding secular issues. Here are the responses from the Labour Party. 1. One Oath For All Will you support amending the Constitution to enable the...

26 January 2020

Green Party responses to General Election questions from Atheist Ireland

Atheist Ireland has asked political parties and candidates running in the General Election on 8th February to answer ten questions regarding secular issues. Here are the responses from the Green Party. 1. One Oath For All Will you support amending the Constitution to enable the...