Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am always grateful for Senator Norris's prayers. Many people have offered to pray for me in the past.

On a serious note, it is outrageous that any teacher should have to be of a particular religion and that 95% of schools are under religious patronage. As a parent, I fought against this and was instrumental in the establishment of a new multidenominational school to try to break the stranglehold the churches, in particular the Catholic Church, have on our primary and secondary education systems. For this reason, I would be the first to fully endorse the Minister of State's comment that a revolution is required. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to upset the status quo. Many parents who are not believers are proponents of the status quo in faith schools attended by their children and for good reason, namely, their desire not to rock the boat for the sake of their children. A major issue here is the context in which the Bill is being debated.

To address the point about what we can do within the confines of the Constitution and European Union rules, it is clear from a reading of the report of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission that while provisions similar to section 37 are in place in many European Union member states, they do not have the significance they have in Ireland because schooling in these countries is not religious-based.It is a state-based, secular system with a tiny minority of faith schools which are entitled legally to discriminate on a section 37-type model. If one looks at the Dutch, Danish or British legislation, one will see there are similar provisions. It is only in our system section 37(1) has this immense significance for all of us because 95% of the schools are under religious patronage and Educate Together and multi-denominational schools form only a tiny minority. That is the context. I wish it were not like that but one must be realistic.

Let me put it this way, as the Minister of State stated, this is no mean achievement. It is 17 years since section 37(1) was enacted. It is 30 years since Ms Eileen Flynn was sacked from the Holy Faith school in New Ross. It is not a mean achievement to overturn the potential for discrimination that still exists in law and that is what this Bill will do.