Politics

18 November 2020

Charities Act gives privilege to politically active religions and support groups

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...

16 November 2020

New Atheist Ireland report – Schools are defying new law on admission policies

A new Atheist Ireland report shows that schools are defying a new law on admission policies. Carl O’Brien of the Irish Times has written about this report this morning. Section 62.7(n) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to publish an admission...

23 October 2020

Seanad does not pass Bill to allow big-money donations between elections

Atheist Ireland is pleased that the Seanad did not pass a Bill yesterday that would have enabled people and groups other than politicians to raise money for political purposes without the safeguards in the SIPO laws. Several Senators quoted concerns raised by Atheist Ireland. Instead,...

22 October 2020

Protecting democracy from the undue influence of big money

The Seanad is debating a Bill today that would enable people and groups other than politicians to raise money for political purposes without the safeguards in the SIPO laws. Atheist Ireland has sent the following submission to all Senators, asking them to oppose this Bill...

4 October 2020

Dail debates Dying with Dignity Bill

The Dail debated the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 this week. Gino Kenny TD of Solidarity – People Before Profit proposed it as a private members bill. It would only allow for assisted dying in cases where a person is of sound mind and is...

4 September 2020

Civil Registration Amendment Act discriminates on religious grounds

The Civil Registration Amendment Act 2012 is the most overtly discriminatory law that has been passed since Atheist Ireland was founded. Atheist Ireland has raised the religious discrimination in the Civil Registration Amendment Act 2012 in our Submission to the UN Human Rights committee. Ireland...

3 September 2020

Freedom of belief when seeking asylum in Ireland

Atheist Ireland has sent a Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. Ireland is up before the Committee in October for the pre-session under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In our submission we raised the issue of freedom of belief when seeking...

29 August 2020

Atheist Ireland submission to UN Human Rights Committee

Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the UN Human Rights Committee. It is about what questions the UN should ask Ireland during its next questioning under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 1. Introduction to Atheist Ireland 2. Recommended questions 3....

25 June 2020

Humanists at Risk Action Report 2020

Atheist Ireland is a member of Humanists International, who today published the Humanists at Risk Action Report 2020. It exposes discrimination against atheists, humanists, and nonreligious people in eight countries: Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. These States limit the...

16 June 2020

How secular is the Programme for Government?

This is Atheist Ireland’s initial response to the proposed Programme for Government agreed jointly by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party. While it is weak on explicit secular policies, some of its commitments would lead to secular specifics if they are implemented while...