Joe Conway (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is mian liom tagairt a dhéanamh do chúrsaí a tháinig faoi mo bhráid cúpla seachtain ó shin.

I am very much a believer in the republican stance of strict separation of church and state, but since we do not really have that luxury, as I would call it, in this country, I will say something on preserving balance or parity of esteem among faiths and religions in this country. A couple of weeks ago, Ramadan ended, which, as most Members will be aware, is a big festival in the Muslim faith. There are now approximately 100,000 Muslims in the country. It is a time of great austerity for them and a time they feel very obviously separates them from the rest of the community. As an inclusive nation, we should be very aware of that and try to not make an issue of the fact Muslims are fasting and going through a time of austerity due to their beliefs and practices.

It is important to underscore the contribution of the Muslim community to this country. As somebody who has visited schools for the past 20 years, I pay tribute to primary school teachers in Ireland for the great work they do in integrating Muslim children into the education system. If we underscore the practices of Ash Wednesday and the distribution of ashes at Leinster House, we should also try to give uplifting remarks to all other faiths and communities.