Humanist celebrant: ‘Schools are dominated by the Catholic Church’

Four multi-denominational primary schools will open this September, according to Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan, in an effort to provide parents with an alternative to faith-based education.

While the move has been largely welcomed, there are still less than 100 non-denominational schools operating in Ireland, while there are almost 3,000 Catholic schools.

The Humanist Association of Ireland says this puts increasing pressure on non-religious parents to go against their beliefs and baptise their children, just to get them into a nearby school.