Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every word and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended; through Christ our Lord. Amen

The above prayer is recited on every occasion that Dáil Éireann sits. Clearly, the prayer does not work. His gracious assistance has given us Ahern, Cowen and Kenny as Taoiseach; and His Holy Inspiration has given us the Bank Guarantee, NAMA, and Irish Water. In Gods defence, He has in the past gifted free cheese to the unemployed and from next year on we will be allowed a beer on Good Friday, through Christ our Lord. Here, at least, wee be happily ended.

Yesterday (4th May), attempts were made in the Dáil to end the ludicrous situation whereby every elected TD is expected to recite this prayer. The proposal was defeated by 96 votes to 15. By way of a compromise, and after several counter proposals, TD’s voted to add on an extra 30 seconds of “silent reflection” after the prayer is recited. Unfortunately, there are no silent reflectors currently elected to Dáil Éireann.

The religious wrangling’s in the Dáil came after a fortnight in which issues pertaining to religion, and its role in the State, were very much to the forefront of political debate. The Citizens Assembly, the body tasked with making recommendations for constitutional change, advocated the removal of the Eighth Amendment (which outlaws abortion) from the Constitution. The government had previously indicated that they would accept whatever recommendations the Assembly made, and Ireland is now facing into a lengthy debate in which Catholicism’s important role in the State will be asserted by one side, and questioned by the other.

We also had the controversy over ownership of the proposed new National Maternity Hospital. Once constructed, ownership of the €300 million hospital will be given to a healthcare group owned by the Sisters of Charity. Clinical independence is promised but for some reason people still seem perplexed by the fact that nuns will own the primary maternity care location in Ireland. One aspect of the controversy is that the State is investing such a vast amount of money (experience tells us it will likely far exceed the €300 million allocated) into something that it ultimately will not own. More pertinent to our discussion is the fact that many people no longer want the Church to have any role in the provision of social services in Ireland.

In today’s Ireland, the Church retains such a role. In the sphere of education, the Catholic Church is dominant – running and owning roughly 90% of primary schools and over half of secondary schools. Every week, hundreds of thousands of children receive a State funded education that presents The Gospel…as gospel. In healthcare, there are still a significant number of publicly funded hospitals run on a solely Catholic ethos. This can have implications in terms of the healthcare provided.

Religion has institutional and legal privilege within the State. In Ireland, blasphemy is illegal under the Defamation Act 2009. If my next sentence were to be “grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion”, I technically could face fines of up to €25,000. Unfortunately, “substantial number” is not a term that can be associated with the readership of this blog so I will refrain from gross abuse.

Religion is also present in terms of who occupies positions within the State. Before the President assumes office, he must make an oath to God. Members of the Council of State, who advise the President on constitutional matters, must also take oaths that invoke God. Since it is a requirement of both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste to be a member of this body, they too must be either religious or lying atheists (thankfully, atheist Eamon Gilmore was not precluded from the job). Appointments to the judiciary must also make oaths that reference God.

Ireland, once a deeply Catholic nation, is becoming more and more secular. Despite overall population growth, there were 132,220 fewer Catholics in 2016 than in 2011. Even amongst those who still identify as Catholic, Mass attendance is usually reserved for Easter and Christmas, or for events such as weddings and christenings (especially important if you want your kid to attend the local school). Less than a fifth of Catholics attend mass regularly. In fact, it is likely that a significant portion of those identifying as Catholics see the identification as a cultural signifier rather than it being a genuine reflection of their religious beliefs. Indeed, 8% of self-identifying Catholics don’t believe in God at all, according to a survey carried out by the Catholic Church.

Over the years, we have rolled back various religious laws. Contraception was legalised in 1980, homosexuality in 1993 and divorce in 1995. More recently, we became the first country to legalise gay marriage by way of a popular vote. But there is more to do. The time for a proper separation of Church and State is long overdue. It is not just that this country, more than most, has experienced the harm that religion can do when it occupies a central position within society. It is that secularism is a crucial component of any modern democracy. However imperfect our political system is, freedom of thought and expression should be guaranteed and enhanced. Freedom of religion is a vital aspect of this but so too is the freedom to live in a State which does not force the religion of the majority upon its citizens.

Spending hundreds of millions of euros on a hospital that is then handed over to nuns, however many safeguards are in place, is not appropriate in a modern democracy. Forcing elected representatives to offer a prayer to God every time they go to work, or having kids say prayers every morning before lessons, is the type of nonsense we would rightly criticise in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Requiring our leaders to take an oath to God is downright archaic. If citizens want to raise their children to be religious, they should be allowed to do so – at home. If you want medical care that conforms to a Catholic ethos, refuse any treatment that does not. Separating Church and State need not impede upon the beliefs of Catholics. Such a separation is, however, an essential component of a country that fully respects the rights of all citizens.