Denominational education should be abolished according to Labour MEP, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, a frequent critic of faith-based schools.

Debating the issue with David Quinn of The Iona Institute on the Today Show with Claire Byrne, Ó Ríordáin rejected any model of divestment, based on parental wishes, that could leave a portion of schools with a faith-based ethos.

“Fundamentally, I believe that we need to absolutely separate church and state when it comes to education. I don’t understand why, in this day and age, that we need to have religion as the overarching context in which our children attend school”, he said.

When he asked if he wanted to remove religion entirely from schools, he agreed, adding: “I do want to remove religion completely. I just don’t think it stands up to any educational scrutiny, that this is what’s best for children”.