The Catholic bishops have formally expressed their concerns about the proposed creation of a single multi-denominational scouting organisation from the two existing scouting groups.
On Wednesday, four days before a crucial vote on the merger proposals this weekend, they wrote seeking a meeting with the officers of Scouting Ireland CSI, formerly the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland.
The move was described yesterday as "a bit late" by one source within the organisation, who pointed out that three meetings between the bishops and scouting representatives had taken place over the past five years of consultations.
As reported in yesterday's Irish Times, the bishops are unhappy about a new variation of the scout promise which makes no mention of God and new rules which would "leave the door open for those who do not profess a belief in a God". This variation refers instead to acceptance of a "spiritual reality".
It was inserted on the insistence of some members of Scouting Ireland SAI, or the once-predominantly Protestant Scouting Association of Ireland, which is also voting on the merger proposals this weekend.
The bishops' stance would allow children of different faiths to join the new organisation, provided they pledged allegiance to their respective gods. However, it would appear to exclude children from a humanist, atheist or agnostic family background.
The bishops are also concerned about property issues. Most CSI scout dens are located on church-owned land, but ownership of these would pass to the new organisation.
