Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose amendment No. 8 on behalf of the Anti-Austerity Alliance. It calls for the deletion of subsection (3)(c) which allows discrimination in admissions policy in schools on the grounds of religion. There is obviously a massive interest among Deputies in this topic and it is unfortunate that this debate will be guillotined at 9 p.m. We will not even get past dealing with one amendment, which is unfortunate for the parents who are in the Gallery. I will be as brief as I can.

It is way past time for this legislative measure to be removed and this debate presents the perfect opportunity for the Minister of State to insert this proposal into the list of equality provisions he is making. This measure is discriminatory. It is socially extremely divisive in communities. It is also quite incredible that State-run, taxpayer-funded schools are allowed give preferential treatment to one religion. Teachers are paid by the State, the school buildings, repairs and all the school expenses are paid for in whole or in part by the taxpayer but yet boards of management or patrons are allowed draft admissions policies based on inequality.

The idea that in 2015 a school can discriminate against admitting a child on the basis of their religion is racism. There is no other word it. If that was the case pertaining in any other country, that is what we would call it. It is a form of apartheid in effect. There are two cases involving people who are in the Gallery. One of them has spoken a good deal on this topic. To give the case study of those involved, the father is a Hindu, living in the Dublin area and his daughter has to travel 6 km to school. Other children in their estate attend local schools. His daughter does not understand why she cannot attend the local school with her neighbours and friends. She is in junior infants and they had to apply to seven schools. They were told at one point by the archbishop's office that there was a simple way out; to tell a Hindu that he should get his daughter baptised is quite incredible.

Another woman who lives in Dublin has applied to nine schools for her son to start primary school this year. Eight have turned him down on the grounds of religion. The son is not in school now, he has had to stay back an extra year, all because they could not get a school to take him.

The Minister of State is the Minister responsible for equality and he has a chance to do something about this. I believe he made a statement yesterday that if he gets re-elected he will do something about this in the next Government. Is he for real? He is actually going to ask people to vote for what is rank hypocrisy. He can do something about this tonight. These children could attend school for the new school year in September rather than having potentially to wait many more years while this discrimination continues.

In the Dublin West constituency that I was elected to represent one in four people is born outside of Ireland. It can be taken therefore that we have a multi-religious, multi-ethnic population. We had the perfect storm a few years ago when there was a huge shortage of school places due to the of massive development that took place during the so-called Celtic tiger years but no schools were provided to cater for the increase in the population. We had massive public meetings to which TDs trotted along and they told the assembled throng that they backed the school in using the Catholics first baptismal cert policy. They actually said that and some of those are Ministers in the current Government.

Other schools in Dublin West have introduced a quota system. They will take in 30% non-Catholics as a recognition that they should do something to help solve the problem but that is simply not good enough. That is also discrimination. Even though the taxpayer is funding schools, they remain single religion schools in terms of 70% of the students admitted. In Dublin West and in many other areas parents have to drive significant distances and they pass each other on the roads, with some driving from Clonsilla to Castleknock and some driving from Castleknock to Clonsilla, adding to the traffic, all because they cannot get their children admitted to their local school. I am in the same situation. I have to drive my daughter to school. I would like her to go to the local school but it is a Catholic school so therefore she cannot attend.

It is inexcusable of the Minister of State if he does not accept this amendment. When I went outside the gates of these Houses two weeks ago to talk to parents who were raising the issue of the deletion of section 7(3)(c), I saw a rake of Labour Party members there as well, some of whom were prominent equality Senators. Tonight the Minister of State has a chance not just to talk the talk but to walk the walk and accept this amendment.

He brought in an admissions policy in April and the Minister for Education and Skills told us it was unconstitutional. I do not have great faith in the Constitution of Ireland. It was drafted years ago, it is not representative and it treats women as second class citizens, but I have looked at it. It contains many provisions that state that this State is not to guarantee or endow any one religion, but what is this only endowing religion? Other provisions were cited in the lengthy contribution Deputy Shortall made. It is not in the Constitution to allow such discrimination. The Minister of State has a great opportunity to remove this measure tonight.

It is regrettable that we will not have time to deal with this legislation. If we change this legislation and non-Catholics, people of diverse religions and of no religions can get into the schools that we all pay for, we will have to change the climate in schools. There is no point in letting people into schools an then subjecting them to indoctrination effectively for the whole day. We will have to change many provisions and we not will not reach the later amendments we tabled. We have tabled three major amendments to the Education Act. If the Minister does not accept this proposal, we will put forward a Bill, which will go to the Bills Office tomorrow morning, containing these proposed amendments and a proposal to delete of section 7(3)(c). The changes that would be needed relate to the school curriculum being invested with religion, boards of management having to adhere to what the patron of the school says, which is usually the local Catholic church, the timetable having to include religion, the fact that it is made extremely difficult for people not to have their children in Catholic schools or in a religious school, having to take instruction on subjects and not being allowed not to participate. We have had many cases of that. These are all issues that must be dealt with but, for tonight, will the Minister of State please start with the simple measure of not excluding children on the basis of religion?

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