The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has said that the approach of the current Seanad Bill allowing religious discrimination is undesirable, and may continue to leave the State exposed to a breach of its obligations under the European Employment Equality Directive 2000/78. In a...
The concerns and proposals raised by Atheist Ireland in our briefing document to Senators were raised in the Seanad today, during a Committee Stage debate on Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act. This is the Section that allows religious institutions, including schools and hospitals,...
Atheist Ireland will be asking all European and Local Election candidates to sign a Secular Statement, based on the one adopted at the World Atheist Convention in Dublin in 2011. We will publish details of all responses, to enable voters to know which candidates are...
Atheist Ireland has made the following written submission to the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on Ireland’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 1. Overview The key priorities and challenges facing Ireland in complying with the ICCPR are to comply with Articles...
Atheist Ireland has made the following submission on the Draft General Scheme for Advance Healthcare Directives for Incorporation into the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill (2013) 1. Introduction 1.1 Atheist Ireland is an Irish advocacy group. We promote atheism and reason over superstition and supernaturalism, and...
The Oireachtas joint Committee on Education has concluded that multiple patronage and ethos as a basis for policy can lead to segregation and inequality in the education system, and that the objectives of admission policy should be equality and integration. This reflects the arguments made...
In Ireland, to solemnise marriages under the Civil Registration Act, secular bodies must be ethical and humanist and cannot promote a political cause. On the other hand if you are a religious body that wants to solemnise marriages, you are not required to be ethical...
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,...
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...
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...