The Preamble to the 1937 Constitution of Ireland begins:
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and
to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States shall be
referred.
We, the people of Eire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus
Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial ..."
The president, every member of the Council of State and all judges are required to take an oath beginning "In the presence of Almighty God..." Given this profoundly religious overtone, the constitution goes on to guarantee that the State shall not endow any religion or impose disabilities discriminate on the basis of religion. Freedom of conscience and free profession of religion are guaranteed, subject to public order and morality. The right of citizens to freely express their opinions is also guaranteed, but publication of blasphemous material is a punishable offense. The constitution recognizes the family as the primary unit of society, superior to positive law and acknowledges the primary role of family as the educator of children. The State requires that children receive a minimum education and provides support for education but does not require parents to send their students to state or state-designated schools. Legislation may not discriminate between schools of different denominations.
The 1996 US State Department Report on Human Rights says that the government does not hamper the teaching or practice of any faith. It points out, though, that almost all primary and secondary schools are managed and controlled by the Catholic Church, which provides religious instruction as an integral part of their curriculum. Parents are allowed to exempt their children from such instruction if they so desire.
2003 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Ireland
Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief Report on Ireland
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