Pluralist Ireland: Labour’s position contradictory

THERE is a strong whiff of hypocrisy about Labour’s proposal to abolish a 50-year-old rule giving religion a privileged status in Ireland’s primary schools while at the same time, as a partner in the coalition government, voting down a popular amendment that would rid the education system of a biased admissions policy favouring Catholic children over those of minority religions and others who have not been baptised.

The move by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan is to be welcomed and yet a cynic might see it as damage-limitation exercise. By promising to repeal the controversial regulation next month, the initiative is clearly aimed at an early general election. It should be remembered however, that a major report commissioned by the Government nearly four years ago called for the removal of the outdated sentiments of Rule 68 which the minister describes as “archaic”.

The question is why have they waited so long?