Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The certificate of religious education is required as a condition of employment in Catholic schools. As an employment matter, it does not fall within my Department’s remit. Some of the higher education institutions offer an optional certificate in religion programme that is separate from the bachelor of education.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority. In accordance with Department circulars 31/2011 and 44/2019, schools are required to ensure that individuals appointed to teach are registered teachers with qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed.

The Teaching Council, which is responsible for the maintenance of standards in teaching and registering teachers, does not require a separate qualification in religious studies for registration as a primary school teacher. Schools and other educational institutions are required to comply with anti-discrimination and other employment legislation, such as the Employment Equality Act 1998. Section 37(1) of that Act, as amended, requires relevant employers in schools with a religious ethos to show that any favourable treatment of an employee or prospective employee is limited to the religion ground and action taken against a person is objectively justified by reference to that institution’s aim of protecting its religious ethos. This provision raises the threshold for discrimination so that schools are precluded from discrimination on any other equality grounds and that any action taken is reasonable and proportionate.

For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local bishop as patron, although this pattern is changing. At present, 89% of primary schools have a Catholic ethos. Approximately 5% have a multidenominational ethos. The remaining approximately 6% of primary schools have a religious ethos other than Catholic, mainly Church of Ireland. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for our changing society.

The schools' reconfiguration for diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multidenominational patrons in response to the wishes of school communities, aims to facilitate more availability of multidenominational schools across the country. The programme for Government reflects the Government’s objective of continuing to expand the plurality of schools to reflect the full breadth of society.

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