School admissions veto is unacceptable

THOUGH Enda Kenny’s statements on the possibility of a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment — should he be returned to power of course — falls some way short of a commitment, his suggestion that he anticipates a vote on the divisive issue will take place over the next “couple of years” is pretty close.

The Taoiseach seems to accept the issue must be resolved one way or another though he has expressed doubts that proposals to change the current legislation would be endorsed.

Earlier this week one of his ministers — Children’s Minister James Reilly speaking after a day-long hearing at the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva— returned to a second deeply divisive issue when he argued that ending religious discrimination in schools’ admission policies may also require a constitutional referendum.