The
Fianna Fail leader
Micheál Martin and the Association of
Catholic Priests have strongly criticised Minister for Education
Ruairí Quinn’s suggestion that schools should reduce teaching time
for religious education. Mr Martin said that the Minister was
“insensitive to people of particular religions” and “oblivious”
to the impact his proposal could have on small schools of various
denominations.

In response to a question
from the audience at the Irish Primary Principal’s Network annual
conference, Minister Quinn said that the 30 minutes of discretionary
time for teaching religion could be reallocated to other subjects
such as Maths.

Speaking on RTE’s News at
One, Mr Martin said “It seems to me that Ruairí Quinn has a
particular problem with religion and a problem with religion in our
schools. I think he has to accept that
parental choice is key here and should be respected.”

The Association of
Catholic Priests was even stronger in its criticism, saying that the
Minister’s comments were “unhelpful, unwarranted and unacceptable”.
The association said that “it seems at best a hapless effort to
devise education policy ‘on the hoof’ and at worst, an indication of
an intention to undermine religious education in the vast majority of
our schools”.

Minister Quinn’s comments
were made as Catholic Schools Week began.

Meanwhile,
Sr Elizabeth Maxwell, provincial leader of the Presentations Sisters
Northern Province, writes in today’s Irish
Times that “a Gospel-inspired concern for
the needs of others calls for practical local and global outreach and
partnerships. We see numerious examples of this generosity among the
students, current and former, of our Catholic schools.” She adds
“Genuine pluralism is not attained by ignoring the right to
religious freedom of the majority. In responding to the needs of our
times, let us avoid the mistake of becoming victims to a national
state of amnesia in relation to a tradition that has served us, and
others, well.”