Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

On 19 February, the Department of Education and Skills issued a circular to State second-level schools stating that they must offer alternative subject choices to students who do not want to study religion. This instruction applied to State-run non-religious schools run by local education and training boards and community schools. It was a very good instruction and was welcomed by those who want to see a separation of church and State and choice for people who do not hold certain religious views in terms of the education system and those who want to end discrimination and stigma. Incredibly, at the beginning of this month, the Department issued a new circular essentially capitulating on all this. In the intervening period, there was clearly a lot of lobbying by the Catholic Church and its representatives, and now the alternative choice subject is not to be offered to people who choose to opt out of religion. Can the Minister explain this?

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