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THE PUBLIC IS divided on whether the Dáil should continue to begin every session with a prayer.
According to a Claire Byrne Live/Amárach Research poll, 42% of people said each Dáil session should not begin with a prayer, while 42% said it should.
A total of 16% said they don’t know.
Ireland is not the only parliament to begin each day with a Christian prayer. Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK and the US have similar procedures to ours.
Other countries have opted for silent reflections at the start of each day.
A number of politicians, and a government minister, believe a moment’s silence would be more appropriate.
Moment of silence
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone told TheJournal.ie a moment silence would be “much fairer than spoken prayer”.
At a time of National, European and World challenges TDs need a moment to reflect on the actions they are about to take. This reflection should be open to politicians of all faiths, and those of none.
In the interest of equality I fully support a moment of silence where every deputy can reflect, pray or be still ahead of their work on behalf of the people of Ireland.
Such an act is much fairer than a spoken prayer which favours one religion over others and does not reflect an equal, diverse and inclusive Ireland.
AAA-PBP Paul Murphy who has raised the issue in the past, said there is no place for religious prayer in the Dáil.
He has also raised with the Dáil Reform committee. Murphy told TheJournal.ie it’s time for the practice to end.
“I think the prayer should go. We should have a complete separation of church and state. One part of this is not having a religious prayer in the Dáil, which is supposed to represent everybody in this country, of many different religions and of no religion. I am an atheist. In what other workplace would I be expected to rise for a prayer at the start of a meeting?”
One TD that who defended the prayer in the past is Independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath.
He said that while the question of the Dáil prayer is something that is occasionally brought up by some members of the Oireachtas, he is yet to encounter any kind of wide spread resistance to the practice among the majority of members.
It seems to be a niche preoccupation among those on ‘hard left.’ It has certainly found no traction among TDs in general.
There is ample evidence from other parliamentary democracies in both Europe and the US that having a prayer at the beginning of proceedings is a perfectly acceptable practice.
Respect for other cultural or religious views should not debar us from acknowledging the specific heritage of our own country and from finding a way of giving expression to that.
McGrath said he would have no problem if an equivalent time for silent prayer/reflection for those who would desire that.
But as for getting rid of it altogether? That would strike me as excessive and even slightly petty to be frank about it.
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The European cheap food policy that sees farmers get break-even prices for food and forces them to rely on the single payment (at best) for income is unsustainable. The supermarkets push farm gate prices down more every year while maintaining their own margins; a year like this one makes it very difficult for the farmers to go on. There has to be a floor below which prices are not allowed to drop, otherwise we just continue to depopulate rural areas as more and more farmers get out of the business.
@John Mulligan:
Would you prefer a European Expensive Food policy ??? more poor people in Ireland, Europe & World than Farmers.
And if they don’t make money they can always sell their business eg farm but anything from a few 100k to many Millions in the bank & go do something else after all is this a business or a life style.
I guess you don’t want food. And another thing why do people get paid for working can’t everybody work voluntary. I’m taking it that’s what your thinking.
@Elizabeth Barry:
I don’t want expensive Food !!… made expensively so that we can support the life style choice of a Asset wealth elite
If they can’t make a living from farming let them sell up & give young farmers / successful farmers a opportunity & let some else try doing better with that land
I’d like to see how many would become unemployed if there were no farmers in the country. Farmers get the least for their produce. It’s the shops etc that get the most. I’d like farmers to get some respect. Every other sector does with their loss of earnings.
So, you want them to slave so that you can buy food at below the cost of production? That’s not just selfish, and unfair; it’s unsustainable too. And why do you begrudge a farmer earning a wage for a seven day week, but you’re OK with supermarkets squeezing more and more primary producers out of business so that they can maintain their margins? And do you therefore support the slave labour in the UK processing industry that is driven by the supermarkets and their need to provide ever-cheaper food? I want to pay a fair price for food; I don’t want to be the cause of misery and slavery. But you have your own standards obviously.
You up sometimes down other. That’s just the nature of that game.
Thanks Stringer, you’re dead right
Turns or tonnes?
The poor poor farmer. A bunch of layabout grant grabbers a mollycudled lot wrapped in protections even from weather give me a break
@Upowthat Burke: You should be a farmer and then you would know what work was. I take it your on call 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
Liam Dunne = the most unpopular, bombastic, useless, mouth almighty in IFA!
Tonnes.
have your say