SF: Burton's promise to end 'baptism barrier' to schools 'smacks of desperation'
Sinn Féin has called on the Government to support a Bill that would prevent State-funded schools excluding children from entry on religious grounds.
Joan Burton said that recently that the Labour Party would seek to end the "baptism barrier" in Irish schools if Labour are re-elected to Government.
In a speech to young party members, the Tánaiste said: "Parents shouldn't feel compelled to baptise their children just to get a school place."
Responding to her comments, Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson Deputy Jonathan O’Brien said it wasn’t good enough to put this legislation on the long finger, saying that his party will introduce their own legislation.
“The latest comments from Tánaiste Joan Burton smack of desperation – her party could have easily addressed the religious discrimination in schools at any time during the last five years and deliberately chose not to," said he Cork North Central TD.
“Instead, themselves and Fine Gael have preoccupied themselves introducing austerity budgets and dismissing the concerns of parents who raised the matter that their four-year-olds are being discriminated against on religious grounds.
“The issue of divestment of patronage has barely moved, children are still routinely excluded from schools on the grounds they are the wrong religion or from a non-religious background, there aren’t enough multi-denominational schools, and Rule 68 is still in the primary school guidelines.
“This isn’t good enough and there is no excuse for delaying addressing this matter.
“For this reason Sinn Féin are committed to bringing forward our own legislation on this, and I would urge the Government to allow our Bill to go forward as a starting point to fixing this archaic law that allows children to be excluded from schools on religious grounds.”
