Politicians: Calls to remove religious orders from schools politically ‘opportunistic’ and ‘bigoted’

Two politicians have slammed the recent calls to remove religious orders from schools, with one saying that it is an example of “bigotry and opportunism” that seeks to promote a specific personal agenda rather than focus on the harms that have been inflicted on survivors of abuse in religious-run schools.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Senator Rónán Mullen called for more respect to be shown to the survivors of abuse in religious-run schools and to not manipulate their grief for certain ideological reasons, while TD for Kerry Michael Healy-Rae said that he would be “totally opposed” to the calls made by certain politicians who he feels are solely advancing their own political agenda.

“I would say that those political calls are an example of bigotry and opportunism,” Senator Mullen said. “Anybody who genuinely cares about the victims of abuse won’t be trying to start a debate about faith-based schools when they know that huge strides have been taken in child protection and when they know that there’s hardly any religious working in these schools on a day-to-day basis and that these schools are mostly run now by lay trusts.

“What is beyond dispute is that there are many, many people of strong faith and relatively weaker faith who still actually want faith-based schools because they think it’s a good thing for society. To try and capitalise on the scandals of the past, which weren’t confined to religious orders and to use them as a political lever in the present is a very cynical manoeuvre and actually very disrespectful toward victims.”

Independent TD, Michael Healy-Rae, called for the good that has been carried out by religious orders to be recognised as he hopes the “bad actions of some people” will not cloud the good that was done in the past by religious orders “in Ireland and throughout the world”.

“I would be totally opposed to the call from certain politicians to either remove religious orders from schools or accelerate this process,” he said. “I believe an awful lot of good was done in the past by religious orders who were involved in our education system not just in Ireland but throughout the world. Of course it is now being over shadowed by the bad actions of some people but in no way should this be used as it seems to be by certain politicians to win the way with their agenda to remove religion from society altogether.”