Dáil debates

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

2:30 pm

Photo of Bertie AhernBertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

There are a number of questions in that. The proposal is being brought to fruition. The Government signed off on it in June and made the churches aware of the proposals, and they made some response. The churches have an arrangement — traditionally, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, Presbyterians and Methodists, and in the past few years the Jewish community — where if there is an issue regarding their schools, health, home or institution in which they are involved, they go to the relevant Department about it, as would anybody else. When I say it is an ad hoc arrangement, that is what happens, they are as entitled to do that as anybody else, particularly when they manage those institutions and the issue affects their people. Those issues would occur in normal circumstances.

What was envisaged in the Constitution and what happens in other countries is more extended in that the churches have an opportunity to attend concordats. This is done formally in a number of European countries. The French are the latest to do this, but they are following a large number of other countries. We have looked at that model and our view is we should follow it.

What normally happens — this has happened in my time and previously — is that the Archbishop of Dublin traditionally calls to the Taoiseach of the day at Christmas time for a short visit. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, now John Neill, would perhaps call in on some of his issues once a year. More recently, the Islamic Foundation of Ireland and some of the other churches invite the Taoiseach. My Department has dialogue with all of them in so far as they are all now involved in the national day of commemoration.

The main sources with whom we have had discussions — this is not a complete list — and who have been involved in this process over the past 12 months or so are the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, the Religious Society of Friends, the Salvation Army, the Unitarian Church, the Lutheran Church of Ireland, the Moravian Church, the Baptist Church, the Orthodox Church, which includes the Coptic, Greek, Romanian and Russian churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Jewish community, the Islamic Foundation of Ireland, the Baha'i Faith, the Buddhist centres, the Association of Irish Humanists and a number of other smaller churches representing the new communities, totalling a large number. The process is an inclusive one.

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