Dr Peter Boylan says there’s no place for religious education in Irish schools

Alison Bough

Highly respected consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Peter Boylan, who resigned from the executive board of the National Maternity Hospital in the row over ownership and governance, says it’s now time to end religious teaching in schools.

Dr Boylan, the former Master of the National Maternity Hospital who has delivered over six thousand babies in his time, hit the headlines in recent months when he resigned with immediate effect from the executive board of the National Maternity Hospital, after stating that the board were “blind to the consequences” of transferring ownership of the hospital to the religous-order-owned St Vincent’s Healthcare Group.

Following public and political outcry, it was announced that the new National Maternity Hospital will have no involvement from the Religious Sisters of Charity, after the order announced their plan to give up ownership of the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group.

Speaking about the row, that saw both he and his sister-in-law Dr Rhona Mahoney on opposing sides, Dr Boylan told The Paul Williams Podcast that it wasn’t personal:

“This is not personal… I have compared it to playing a rugby match – you tear strips off each other on the pitch. When the whistle goes you shake hands and go off and socialise together.

I’ve always had that attitude in arguments, it’s fine to have an argument about a principle but don’t let it get personal. It shouldn’t get personal – I certainly don’t make it personal.”

Peter Boylan also shared his thoughts on Ireland’s “complicated history going right back to the foundation of the State, and before, with the role of religious in education and health” and says it’s time to separate State and church:

“The State just didn’t provide education and health and handed it over to the Church… There was that toxic relationship between de Valera and the Catholic hierarchy, which I think is responsible for a lot of our problems over the years. I think the control element of the Catholic Church in Irish society was damaging over the years.

People’s faith and their ability to practise their faith needs to be respected, but I think there should be separation of State and church… I don’t think religious education should be in a school – I think it should be in the church.

If parents want their children to be educated in whatever faith they chose, then they should go to the church for that. That’s the way it happens on the continent. If you want to have a faith-based hospital or school that’s fine, but you’ll have to pay for it yourself.”