Discrimination on the ground of religion or belief in Ireland

This paper focuses on discrimination on the ground of religion or belief in Ireland. It is based on the analysis of academic sources, secondary data including Irish legislation related to religion; reports published by NGOs and governmental organisations; information from the Census 2011; and media reports and coverage. The Census 2011 shows that Ireland remains a country with a predominant majority who identify themselves as Catholics. There have been important social and cultural changes in Ireland over the last decades. Irish Catholics no longer have the same devotion to the Church that their parents had, and there are many important changes taking place in the State, the media, the public sphere and civil society towards religion. This report shows that despite these changes, the influence of the Catholic Church in Ireland and specifically in the area of education is still significant. The Catholic Church owns and runs the vast majority of primary and secondary schools in Ireland, and has the right, as do other religious groups, to impose its religious ethos in these institutions due to a specific exemption in Irish Equality legislation. This report describes some key policies and initiatives taking place in Ireland that could contribute to the development of a more plural and diverse society.