Children who opt out of religious classes in schools must be offered alternative options, an atheist group has warned.

Atheist Ireland has lodged a petition with the Committee on Public Petitions to ask for more support for students choosing to not attend religious instruction at school.

Students in Ireland have the right to not attend religious instruction, however, many schools offer no alternative options, with children unable to leave the classroom while lessons are ongoing.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Atheist Ireland spokesperson Jane Donnelly said children should be offered alternative teaching

“What happens at the moment is children are left sitting in the class at second level and primary," Ms Donnelly said.

She said the right to opt out of religious instruction is enshrined by Irish law.

"The Constitution says they have a right not to attend religious instruction," she said.

Oireachtas petition

Ms Donnelly said Atheist Ireland is taking formal action to ensure children can be occupied elsewhere during religious instruction.

"We have gone to the Oireachtas Petitions Committee and asked them to give practical application to this right," she said.

Alternative lessons

Ms Donnelly said non-practicing children should either be supervised or given another lesson.

"Preferably, we would like to see them get another subject, particularly at second-level," she said.

State funding

Ms Donnelly said schools might have to employ another teacher to teach another lesson or to supervise students opting out of religion – but she said it is the State’s responsibility to come up with the funding.

"It does cost money and the Constitution envisages that it does cost money because it’s in an article in the Constitution relating to the funding of schools," she said.

Ms Donnelly said the best use of State resources is to "vindicate our constitutional rights".

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