Senator Bacik speaking on the death penalty and religion in schools.

Order of Business

Senator Ivana Bacik: I support other Senators in expressing their condemnation of the imposition of the death penalty in the high profile case in the United States. We would do well to remember that Ireland, as a member of the Council of Europe, is part of a group of states that have happily turned their backs on the death penalty and now regard it has barbaric. I welcome calls on the Leader to determine how best we can put pressure on countries such as the Untied States, China and Saudi Arabia, which are still imposing the death penalty far too much. Clearly, any imposition of the penalty is wrong and barbaric. I agree entirely with the other Senators in that regard.

I would like to contribute to the debate on democracy by asking the Leader for a debate on religion in schools and the place of religion in education. If we live in a democracy rather than a theocracy or Christian democracy, we must be concerned about the very prominent role the churches, especially the Catholic church, continue to play in the provision of primary and secondary education. I speak in light of the decision by the European Court of Human Rights last week in the case of Lautsi v. Italy, in which the court held that the presence of crucifixes and religions symbols in the classroom was in breach of the rights, established in the European Convention on Human Rights, of the applicant and her children who wished to be educated in a secular way and not to be exposed to the symbols of one particular religion.

Ireland is a member of the Council of Europe and must have regard to the fundamental principles of the Council, the European Convention on Human Rights and the need for tolerance and respect for those of other religions and of none. Just because one religion is dominant in this country does not mean it should have a near monopoly on the provision of primary education. The Catholic church still controls 91% of primary schools in Ireland, depriving parents of choice. Parents may themselves be Catholic but may wish their children to receive education in a much more rounded way and in a way that does not include instruction in a particular faith.

I ask that we debate this, in particular the role of the integrated curriculum, whereby children are still receiving religious instruction during school hours in breach, I would say, of their rights under Article 44 of the Constitution and under the European Convention on Human Rights. Article 44 says children have a right to attend publicly funded schools without receiving religious instruction in those schools against their parents' wishes. I ask the Leader to organise a debate on this urgently.