General

6 February 2014

Atheist Ireland second letter to Ombudsman for Children about religious discrimination in schools

Atheist Ireland has sent the following letter to the Ombudsman for Children, about the advice that she has given to the Minister for Education on religious discrimination in admission to primary schools. Our first letter to her on this issue is here. Dear Ms Logan,...

31 January 2014

The Louise O’Keeffe judgment could begin the end of state-supported religious discrimination in Irish schools

This week’s European Court judgment in the Louise O’Keeffe case changes everything in the campaign for secular education in Ireland. The State was arguing that it was not responsible for protecting Louise O’Keeffe’s human rights while she was in school, because the State did not...

29 January 2014

Protect our basic human rights by separating Church and State

Atheist Ireland has made a final submission to the Irish Constitutional Convention, asking its members to recommend a secular Constitution that respects equally the human rights of all citizens, regardless of our religious or nonreligious beliefs. The Convention members are meeting this weekend in Dublin...

29 January 2014

Flawed blasphemy report would maintain religious privilege

The Irish Constitutional Convention has reported to the Government on the issue of blasphemy, which the Convention discussed last November. The report recommends that the offence of blasphemy is removed and replaced with a new general provision to include a prohibition on incitement to religious...

29 December 2013

Jane Donnelly telling Dail Committee that Irish schools breach human rights law

This is video of Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Education on 11 December about discrimination against secular parents and their children in Irish schools. Opening Statement – Irish schools breach human rights Answering Question – Respecting secularism Summary – Discrimination...

17 December 2013

Children's Ombudsman must help to protect children of secular parents from religious integrated curriculum

Atheist Ireland has sent the following letter to the Ombudsman for Children, about the need to protect the human rights of secular parents and their children from the religious integrated curriculum in denominational Irish primary schools: Dear Ms Logan, We welcome the intent of your...

11 December 2013

Jane Donnelly tells Dail Committee that Irish schools breach human rights law

Jane Donnelly, Atheist Ireland’s Human Rights Officer, made the following presentation today to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection. The Committee was discussing the Draft General Scheme of an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2013. As legislators, what would you do if...

9 December 2013

Constitutional Convention insults secular citizens with 2% vote to discuss Church and State

The Irish Constitutional Convention has responded insultingly to the many citizens who asked it to discuss Separation of Church and State. Only 2% of Convention members have voted to discuss the topic, despite it receiving more support than any other topic in the Convention’s public...

20 November 2013

Religion harms society: Michael Nugent's speech at The Oxford Union

This is video and script of Michael Nugent’s speech at the Oxford Union debate on 7 November, where he proposed the motion That Religion Harms Society. Also proposing the motion were David Silverman, Peter Atkins, Nonie Darwish and Peter Millican. Opposing the motion were Mehrunissa...

19 November 2013

Atheist Ireland Submission to Department of Education on Promoting Greater Inclusiveness in Primary Schools

Atheist Ireland has today sent this submission to the Department of Education on inclusiveness in primary schools. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Respecting Secularism as a Philosophical Conviction 3. Rule 68 – Religious Integrated Curriculum 4. Other Specific Recommendations 5. Conclusion “This state is a Republic,...