The Green Party has backed a motion at its annual convention that there should be no obligation on primary school teachers to teach religion.

The motion says that “teaching religion should be an optional subject for primary school teacher training and should be multi-faith and multi-denominational, expect where parents want denominational schools.”

The motion was proposed by Bernie Connolly of Cork South-West. She pointed out the country’s seven teacher training colleges all require students to learn and pass exams in “Christian doctrine”.

According to a report in The Irish Times, she said her motion was “about eliminating discrimination and to allow for change in the manner in which religion is taught in primary schools”, and that “religion within State-funded schools should be focused on learning rather than faith-formation”.

Minister of State Ciaran Cuffe, said: “I think we do need to keep a line between what the State does and what the churches do. We have to think again about our references in our Constitution to a Christian God. We have to think again even in the Oireachtas about having a Christian prayer before we start our day’s work.”

However, Pat Pidgeon of Wicklow dissented from the motion. He said: “It’s not the business of the State to be involved in this thing at all. It’s for the parent to decide how to teach and how to bring up their children and it’s for the State to ensure they’re protected in doing so.”