Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 4, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:"Amendment of section 15 of Act of 1998

5. Section 15(2) of the Act of 1998 is amended by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (g):

"(h) In performing the functions conferred on it, and notwithstanding subsection (2)(b), a board shall uphold equal respect and dignity for all pupils, regardless of religion, ethnicity or family background, and uphold their constitutional rights under Articles 44.2.3 and 44.2.4, specifically by ensuring no religious instruction or faith formation take place during class time prior to the last lesson of any school day.".".

I wish to speak to amendments Nos. 2, 4 and 181 which concern the timing or place of religious instruction or faith formation during the school day. A very significant number of parents nowadays do not subscribe to the belief system of the patron of the school their children are attending. We know that these children and their parents have a constitutional right to withdraw from that religious instruction, but I believe we need to go further than this. We need to provide for the spirit of the constitutional protection. As it is exercised within schools, it is quite divisive for children. Certain children are excluded from the activities of the rest of their class. This highlights difference between children. I do not believe we should be doing this within the education system. It also causes many organisational difficulties for schools.

At particular times of the year or in particular classes where a considerable amount of time is spent on preparation for the sacraments, it is especially unfair to children who do not subscribe to the faith formation activity in the school.

It is wholly inappropriate that religious instruction classes will be held during the school day. There is a strong argument for moving them out of the school completely in the context of a publicly funded school. This plays into the wider issue, which we discussed earlier, in respect of the rights of parents for their children to attend their local State-funded school and that it should be free of any religious influence - certainly free of denominational instruction - during the regular school day.

My three amendments provide for the timing of classes in religious instruction outside of the normal school day. At a minimum, they should be moved to the last class slot in the day. Ideally, they should be held after the normal school day and at school finishing time. That is the only fair way of ensuring the integrity of the school day remains intact and that children are not made to feel excluded in any way because their parents have chosen for them not to attend faith formation classes. We need to take this step now. Ideally, it should be outside the regular school day. At a minimum, we should be ensuring schools move faith formation to the last class in the day to allow parents the option of collecting their children and taking them home. It would remove the awkward situation in which children are placed as a result of religious instruction taking place and they having to move out of the classroom with arrangements put in place for alternative supervision during those periods.