Ms Derval Duggan:

Absolutely. I have been a practising teacher for ten years. I taught in France as well as in different types of schools in Ireland quite a number of years ago and more recently and I see the penetration of the religion of the patron in the school, particularly at primary level, as a serious issue. As a parent one does not know what is happening in one's child's school. It depends sometimes on the teacher. One teacher can be quite religious while another is not. I stand by what I said about the teaching on homosexuality. I have taught young men in my school who are gay but the school's relationships and sexuality education programme can be delivered through the ethos of the patron. If the patron is Catholic, that is what is being taught in the school, depending on the teacher, but I would not agree that I am generalising in a vague way. I am being precise. I know what happens in schools. I have the issue of my children not being baptised and not having any religion, yet they have to attend a school with a religious patron because we could not get them into an Educate Together school.

I know what it is like to have that conflict at home, to want to support one's child's school and teacher but yet, one's beliefs and values are being disrespected every day. Only last week I was told to keep my children at home instead of sending them to a service in school when I asked if they simply could be minded somewhere else. There are many serious issues for parents like myself. Many people simply go along with it and say they will get them baptised, because it just cuts out those problems or they will go along with the communion because that is what one does. This is not Iran or Saudi Arabia; we are supposed to be a democracy in the 21st century.