Sir, - Discrimination can be defined as treating someone differently on the basis of their religion, race or beliefs and is held to be wrong by the vast majority of citizens in the first world. An anti discrimination piece of legislation passed by a government can be expected to make it illegal for employers to hire or fire someone on the basis of what they believe in as opposed to what they can do. Ireland, being a "modern" country passed such a piece of legislation the Employment Equality Bill in 1995. So far, so good.
However, this Bill has now been amended to say that if your employer is "a religious, educational or medical institution established for religious purposes . . . it will be permitted to give favourable treatment to employees on religious grounds." This surely defeats the purpose of legislation in the first place. Aside from the argument for the separation of church and State, it indicates a sad return to our oppressed past and negates all the recent improvements in the area of civil rights in Ireland.
In practical terms, this means that if you work for one of the many organisations under religious control, you can be legally sacked for being gay, using contraception, having children outside marriage, having a relationship with a divorced person . . . I could go on and on.
It is an absurd situation, a crazy piece of legislation and is the biggest mistake of this Government. The amendment to this Bill must surely surpass the legislation on abortion to become the ultimate Irish solution to an Irish problem. - Yours, etc.,
St Brendan's Crescent,
Dublin 12.