Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On amendment No. 4 to amendment No. 13, if an institution is to draw on its religious ethos to lawfully discriminate against an employee, it is reasonable to require it to define its ethos in writing and to require that the employee or potential employee be made aware of it. If the Government, by its amendments to the Bill, maintains that it is reasonable to keep section 37(1)(b) in order to protect the constitutional provisions on freedom of religion, why is it not equally reasonable to require religious institutions to define their ethos? An employee should be crystal clear on what it is he or she needs to respect and should not undermine. If we have it included in the Bill, it should be required before anybody has to go to court rather than it being done afterwards, an issue to which the Minister of State referred. I cannot for the life of me think why a religious institution would not want to define its ethos in writing and, with confidence, make employees or potential employees aware of it. What might an ethos contain? Should it contain, for example, that one must love one's neighbour as oneself; that it is right and proper to respect the fundamental dignity of every human being; that the meek shall inherit the earth or blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will be filled?