The right of Catholic schools to prioritise children from that faith community should be challenged by making the provision of State funding reliant on ending the so-called ‘baptism barrier’, it has been suggested. The call has been made by a campaigning group, Equate, which cited three constitutional experts who state: “There is no constitutional right to unconditional public funding for private or denominational schools and the Constitution permits the imposition of reasonable conditions on the provision of public funding.” This, Equate argues, allows for a change in legislation to remove the right of religious schools to protect their ethos without any fall-out for politicians backing such a move. Education Minister Richard Bruton, who has previously cited constitutional difficulties on the ‘baptism barrier’ is to meet with Equate on the matter.

The child and family agency Tusla is to review its ‘age gap’ guidelines following a controversial decision to remove a child from the care of his grandparents. Under current rules, Tusla requires foster carers to not be more than 40 years older than foster children. This was the rule used when, in May, a nine-year-old child was removed from his grandparents’ care as the couple were in their 60s. The ‘age gap’ review was announced by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone following lobbying by Independent TD Mattie McGrath who took up the issue on behalf of the grandparents.

The Zika virus has resulted in a huge increase in abortions in Latin America, according to researchers. According to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Brazil and Ecuador have seen a doubling in their abortion rate, while other nations have seen increases of at least a third. As abortion remains illegal in various Latin American nations, researchers looked to requests made to unofficial providers, charting, for example, online requests for abortion pills before and throughout the Zika outbreak.

The Attorney General will address the Cabinet next week on the legality of a private members’ Bill aimed at introducing to Ireland abortion in cases of foetal abnormality. The legislation is due to be debated in the Dáil next week, and members of the Independent Alliance have already called for the Taoiseach to allow them a free vote on the matter. That call has been led by Minister for Transport Shane Ross and Minister of State at the Department of Health Finian McGrath, while Minister John Halligan said he would back the Bill. Fianna Fáil will allow a free vote while Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit and the Green Party are expected to support the Bill.

Two primary schools in Northern Ireland are to make history by becoming the region’s first jointly-run Church school. Desertmartin Church of Ireland Primary and Knocknagin Catholic Primary, in Derry, want to merge and be jointly managed by the Roman Catholic Church and Church of Ireland. While there are a number of integrated schools in Northern Ireland, this proposed joint-management merger would be a first. Parents are now being consulted on the plan, which has the support of staff in both schools, and if consensus is reached, the proposal will be put to the Department of Education with the education minister having the final say on allowing the plan to go-ahead.

Doctors in Britain have voted to maintain their opposition to assisted suicide. In a vote taken during the British Medical Association’s (BMA) annual meeting, delegates voted 198-115 in opposing any change to the body’s traditional opposition to physician-assisted suicide. Ciarán Kelly, Head of Communications at The Christian Institute, welcomed the vote. “A decision by the BMA to change its position would have sown doubt into the minds of vulnerable patients as to whether their doctor is always working in their best interests. We should be thankful today that doctors refused to bow to pressure to open the door to assisted suicide.”

Teachers in some girls’ schools in Britain have been advised to avoid the term ‘girl’ so as to cater more for transsexual students. Members of the Girls’ School Association have been urged to refer to their ‘pupils’ or ‘students’ instead and to provide unisex toilets so as to accommodate those “posing questions around their gender identity”. The advice came after the Association had been briefed by the Gendered Intelligence (GI) campaign group. Its chairman Jay Stewart, said that the phrase ‘young ladies’ was sexist and transphobic.