Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Coppinger on bringing the Bill forward. This is a worthwhile debate to address religious discrimination in State schools. The subtext to the debate is the power of the Catholic Church and its iron grip on society. Thankfully, that grip has been dramatically loosened over the past 20 years, but it needs to be loosened much further. I was brought up a Catholic but I am not a Catholic anymore. A majority of our people probably still recognise themselves as a Catholic but no Catholic could ever defend what the Catholic Church did to this country, including committing some of the most despicable acts against people.

I would like to highlight a relevant case relating to school admissions. I was contacted by a family from Dublin earlier to highlight the situation they are facing, which is incredible. They live next door to a primary school but their child cannot go to the school because he is not Catholic. I will quote the reasons the child cannot get a place in the school under the heading, "Procedures for offering places":

In the event of there being more applicants than places available, the following criteria will apply:

1. Sisters and brothers of children who are currently enrolled in the school.

2. Catholic children who are resident within the parish boundary of Our Lady of the Rosary, Harold's Cross, Dublin 6.

3. Children who attended the Montessori facility.

4. Catholic children resident in the parish of Mount Argus.

5. Children of other faiths and non-resident in the parishes of Harold's Cross and Mount Argus in that order.

6. The order in which names are recorded in the registration book.

The child qualifies under the fifth procedure. As a young child, he cannot go to a school of his peers in his neighbourhood. The family of that child is paying tax, which funds that school, and it is incredible that he cannot go to the school because he is not a Catholic.

If that child was a different colour - if he was black - it would be discrimination. I find it incredible that in the 21st century, this sort of thing can go on. Members eulogise about the Constitution in this Dáil and its righteousness. The Constitution says to treat all children equally, but those words are very hollow when it comes to this child.

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