We should be able to talk and express opinions on religion without any fear

YOU should be able to talk about religion without fear. You should be able to express your beliefs without worrying about imprisonment, torture, or even death. But in much of the world you can’t. Because in much of the world, the crime of blasphemy is not just on statute books, it is actively policed.

And offenders are heavily punished. It is a long time since someone was prosecuted for blasphemy here in Ireland. But it is a crime in both our Constitution and our laws.

In 2017, Gardaí actually opened an investigation into what Stephen Fry had said to Gay Byrne two years earlier on ‘ The Meaning of Life’, when Gay had asked about what Stephen might say to God at the pearly gates.

The investigation came to nothing but it drew attention to a new law which had been introduced in 2009, and which I believe most Irish people do not support. It also diverted Garda time away from other issues.

The coverage of the incident showed us up - firstly as the only country in the developed world which had actually introduced a blasphemy law this century, and secondly as surely being accused of lacking credibility when we criticised other countries for using blasphemy laws to oppress minorities, lock people up, impose violent punishments or hand down death sentences.

Blasphemy was included as a crime in our Constitution in 1937 and defined in law in 2009.

The law says that a person is guilty of blasphemy if, intending to cause outrage, they say or publish something that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion.

The fine can be up to €25,000.

The law was put on the statute books by the then Justice Minister, Dermot Ahern.

He later said he introduced it only because he felt he had to due to it being in the Constitution, but that given the choice he would have preferred a referendum to remove it.

However the path that was taken was to introduce the law.

And so now this Government must get rid of the reference to blasphemy as an offence in the Constitution, so we can then repeal the law.

Remove and repeal we surely must. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are important values in a democratic society.

Criminalising blasphemy does not match with them.

We, in Ireland are known around the world for speaking up for minorities and human rights.

Our voice will be all the stronger on this one if we get our own house in order.

So let’s remove the reference to blasphemy from our Constitution when we go to polls on Friday next, October 26 th.