Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have tabled amendments Nos. 89 and 104 in this group. Amendment No. 89 would require the Minister to provide guidelines for schools on how they should put in place age-appropriate alternatives for children who do not wish to attend classes in religious instruction, The Minister must set minimum standards for the nature of exemptions for students who do not want to attend classes in religious instruction. This would ensure freedom from discrimination and protection of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in schools. The Bill, in section 62(7)(n), already provides that a school should provide details of its policy on arrangements to meet parents' wishes or those of any student over 18 years who does not wish to attend classes in religious instruction. Government amendment No. 69 also ensures a student cannot miss a day of school if he or she does not attend classes in religious instruction. The next logical step is to ensure the Minister will set guidelines to ensure all students will be treated equally across schools when they opt out of classes in religious instruction. In February the Minister issued a circular to all ETB schools requiring them to provide alternative subject choices for students who wished to opt out of classes in religious instruction, but it only applies to ETB schools, the logic being they are multi-denominational. The amendment would compel the Minister to issue guidelines to all schools.

Amendment No. 104 would require the Minister in his regulations to set age-appropriate guidelines for primary and post-primary schools, respectively, for students who did not wish to attend classes in religious instruction in publicly funded schools.

See this speech in context