Dublin plans referendum on removing the offence of blasphemy
A REFERENDUM on the removal of the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution could be held on the same day as the presidential election, the Minister for Justice has said.
Charlie Flanagan was given approval by the Cabinet to hold the referendum in October.
It could be held on the same day as an election for the office of president, and alongside another referendum to remove the part of the Constitution that refers to the woman’s place in the home.
Known as the “woman in the home” clause, it has been criticised for its sexist language by Irish politicians and activists.
Mr Flanagan said: “In terms of Ireland’s international reputation, this is an important step.
“Regrettably, there are some countries in the world where blasphemy is an offence, the punishment of which is being put to death. In these countries, such laws are not an anachronism but a very real threat to the lives of those who do not share the views of those enforcing the laws.
“Such situations are abhorrent to our beliefs and values. By removing this provision from our Constitution, we can send a strong message to the world that laws against blasphemy do not reflect Irish values and that we do not believe such laws should exist.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has launched a defence of religion’s place in Irish society, attacking those who want to “turn religious people into pariahs”.
A day after Pope Francis confirmed details of his visit, Mr Varadkar hit out at socialist politicians for trying to “push religion out of the public space”.
Insisting he believes in the separation of church and state, the Taoiseach added: “When we speak about church and state, and while we should always acknowledge the many wrongs done by church bodies in the past — people will know what they are — we should not forget that many religious-based charities and many religious bodies do very good and valuable work today.”