Politics

27 July 2022

UN again tells Ireland to provide secular schools and remove religious oaths

Atheist Ireland welcomes today’s concluding observations of the UN Human Rights Committee, which again tell Ireland to provide secular education by establishing non-denominational schools, and to further amend the Employment Equality Act to bar all forms of discrimination against teachers and medical workers. The UN...

26 June 2022

Atheist Ireland raises religious discrimination with the UN Human Rights Committee

The United Nations Human Rights Committee is questioning Ireland in July about our human rights record under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or ICCPR. Atheist Ireland has made the following submission about Freedom of Conscience, Religion, and Belief. You can also read...

12 June 2022

The right to not attend religious instruction and the misuse of public funds in Irish schools

Since last year Atheist Ireland has been raising the issue of the misuse of public funds in Irish schools that do not respect the constitutional condition of state funding that children have a right to not attend religious instruction. Following the Minister for Education’s recent...

22 April 2022

Review of Termination of Pregnancy Act

Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. Which parts of the Act have not operated well? Conscientious objection: Nearly 50% of maternity hospitals do not provide full abortion services,...

7 March 2022

The National Maternity Hospital and Article 44 of the Constitution

In a democratic republic, the State should own and directly run the national maternity hospital. It should not cede control over this essential public service to any private institution, such as Saint Vincent’s Holdings. Our Constitution was heavily influenced by Catholic Church teaching. There are...

18 February 2022

Protect nonreligious beliefs, say Atheist Ireland and IHREC

The Department of Justice is reviewing the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Acts. Atheist Ireland made a Submission which you can find here. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also made a submission, which you can find here. In the Venice Commission...

17 February 2022

Amend Employment Equality Act, say Atheist Ireland and IHREC

The Department of Justice is reviewing the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Acts. Atheist Ireland made a Submission which you can find here. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also made a submission, which you can find here. Atheist Ireland’s recommendations include:...

16 February 2022

Amend Equal Status Act, say Atheist Ireland and IHREC

The Department of Justice is reviewing the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Acts. Atheist Ireland made a Submission which you can find here. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission also made a submission, which you can find here. Under the Equal Status...

10 February 2022

Defence Forces report calls for updating Chaplaincy and ending Catholic masses at induction

Atheist Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance of Ireland, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland welcome that the Report of the Commission of the Defence Forces, published yesterday, has recommended that: A number of outdated practices should be discontinued, including but not limited to the convening...

28 January 2022

Minister for Education replies to Atheist Ireland about religion in schools and anti-abortion video

The Minister for Education Norma Foley has replied to a letter from Atheist Ireland about the right to not attend religious instruction in schools and a recent anti-abortion video shown in a school. Here is the Minister’s reply and our reply to her. Letter from...