Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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44. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a practical application to the right of a child to opt out of religion classes instead of continuing the current situation of forcing a child to remain present in a classroom during religious education against the wishes and judgment of the child's parents or guardians. [43692/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Under the Constitution and in accordance with the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes and it is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.

The practical arrangements by which schools ensure that the right to opt out of religion classes is accommodated is a matter for each individual school. On occasion there can be practical issues around supervision and arranging class times and these have to be considered by schools at local level and worked through in a pragmatic way.

In this regard, I believe that difficulties could be avoided if, from the outset, a school's arrangements for those students who do not wish to attend religious instruction are made clear to all parents concerned. It is for that reason that the forthcoming Admissions to School Bill includes a specific requirement that school enrolment policies must include details of the school's arrangements for any students who do not wish to attend religious instruction. The Bill was published in April of this year and is on the Government's legislative programme for enactment in this session.