TWO Catholic bishops have written to TDs in their dioceses warning that if proposed legislation on employment equality is changed, the position of religious run institutions may be undermined.
Sister Eileen Randles, general secretary of the Catholic Primary School Managers Association, also said yesterday the future of denominational schools could not be guaranteed if the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Mr Taylor, was forced to change the legislation.
The Bishop of Kerry, Dr William Murphy, and the Bishop of Cloyne, Dr John Magee, wrote to a number of TDs in the past week expressing concern over possible alterations to the Employment Equality Bill.
The Bill is designed to counter discrimination in employment. However, Section 37 (1) makes an exception for religious run education and medical institutions if discrimination is essential for the maintenance of their ethos "or is reasonable to avoid offending the religious sensitivities of its members or clients".
Democratic Left has strongly objected to this element of the legislation and, last week, its backbench TD, Ms Kathleen Lynch took the highly unusual step of stating that she would table amendments to the Government Bill unless it was altered. Meetings about the matter between Government programme managers have so far failed to reach a resolution.
Ms Lynch told The Irish Times yesterday that any amendment the Minister might bring forward at report stage must be agreed beforehand".
The Bill completed committee stage on Tuesday but Section 37 (1) remains in its original format.
Mr Taylor told the committee he had received more advice from the Attorney General and it required further consideration before any amendment could be moved. However, according to Ms Lynch, her party would require enough time to examine Mr Taylor's amendment so that it could, if necessary, bring forward its own proposals for change.
In spite of her reservations about the existing section, Democratic Left agrees that institutions should have rights of dismissal if an employee was undermining the ethos of the particular institution". Sources in Democratic Left said that, contrary to some reports, Ms Lynch was not doing "a solo run" and had the support of her parliamentary colleagues.
In his letter to a number of TDs, Dr Magee appealed to them to ensure that the rights of religious institutions" be protected by the retention of this section of the Bill. Dr Murphy said he had noted with surprise and alarm the reports of Democratic Left's pressure for changes to the Bill. Assurances had been given by the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, in relation to the religious ethos of Catholic schools, he said.
"I also find it alarming that the Minister (for Equality and Law Reform) would contemplate such a change. Surely parents who send their children to a Catholic school are entitled to expect that the teachers will promote Catholic education", he added.
A spokesman for Mr Taylor said last night he intended to return to the section at report stage "if his consultations with the Attorney General and all other aspects of the matter are resolved".
"The Minister is conscious of the fact that two sets of rights are involved - those of churches and parents as well as teachers", he added. He has already met both Catholic and Church of Ireland representatives as well as the two relevant teachers unions and is conscious of their worries.
"If he can come forward with any improvement to the Bill as drafted that would represent a reasonable balance of interests, he will do so", the spokesman said.