Concerns were expressed on the first full day of business at the all-Ireland denomination’s principal decision-making body, which is meeting in Assembly Buildings in Belfast. This afternoon members discussed the Council for Public Affairs report and debated its resolutions on a range of political, social and economic issues. Alongside the cost of living crisis, these included education and devolution in Northern Ireland, plans to extend abortion legislation and moves to legalise assisted suicide in the Republic of Ireland, with the Assembly affirming ‘the value and dignity of human life from before birth to the very end…’
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Bringing together ministers, elders and others from the church’s 500-plus congregations, alongside a number of partner churches and organisations from home and overseas, Karen Jardine, PCI’s Public Affairs Officer, told members that more than 26,000 people in Northern Ireland used a Trussell food bank for the first time this year. Given that there are other providers, Miss Jardine said that this number was much higher.
“It’s impossible to turn on the news or open a paper without being confronted by the avalanche of budgetary cuts across government departments in Northern Ireland, which will only compound the cost of living crisis being experienced by so many. PCI congregations are responding to these challenges in different ways through school uniform schemes, providing warm spaces, coffee hubs and lunch clubs, discrete financial assistance, or formal partnership with organisations like the Trussell Trust and Christians Against Poverty,” she said.
Following the debate, in a number of resolutions that were passed. The General Assembly resolved to ‘call on the governing authorities in Northern Ireland to prioritise the most vulnerable in society in their budgetary decisions in the midst of the cost of living crisis’. Members also called ‘on the Northern Ireland Executive departments to work collaboratively towards the development and implementation of effective anti-poverty measures which address the root of the problem rather than its symptoms’.
At the same time, a resolution calling ‘on the Department for Communities to raise the Supporting People budget to ensure that effective housing support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable people living in Northern Ireland’ was agreed. Members also commended ‘the invaluable work of many congregations and faith based organisations in seeking to address the implications of the cost of living crisis.’
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Education featured heavily in the debate on the Council for Public Affairs Report. Council Convener, Rev Daniel Kane said that the report “highlights some of the complex challenges facing us around the education of our children and young people, something we have always cherished deeply. We express huge appreciation for the commitment and professional competence of everyone involved in education across the island of Ireland.”
A resolution recognising ‘the massive contribution made by Presbyterians who serve on school Boards of Governors and Boards of Management’ in the Republic of Ireland was agreed. The General Assembly also recognised and commended ‘the vital work carried out in Special Schools across the island of Ireland and encourage[d] congregations to make real and meaningful links with such schools in their areas.’
Turning to Relationship and Sexuality Education, Mr Kane, the minister of West Church in Ballymena, said, “The autonomy afforded to school Boards of Governors in Northern Ireland to develop their own RSE policy, based on the ethos of the school, has come under sustained attack from many quarters. Recently the Secretary of State introduced legislation, which could affect how RSE is taught in post primary schools in Northern Ireland. There are obvious concerns around the implications this will have on the education of our young people.”
He also referenced the recent Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission report into reforming RSE in schools, “…in a way which is value-neutral and outside the parameters of school ethos is a further challenge to the independence of School Boards of Governors in Northern Ireland to determine the ethos of their particular school,” he said.
The text of the resolution passed states that the General Assembly ‘deeply regret and express their grave concern at the Secretary of State’s patronising imposition of a series of measures (based on the findings of the flawed 2018 CEDAW Report) most recently in the area of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in post-primary schools, with little or no consideration of the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland; and call on the Department of Education as it develops guidance on the teaching of RSE in post-primary schools to ensure that such teaching can be supported and shaped by a strong, clear and coherent moral framework, as set out in a school’s ethos and implemented across the school community.’
Addressing the Assembly in his last speech as Chair of PCI’s State Education Committee, Dr Andrew Brown said that schools and school leaders were at breaking point, budgets were beyond breaking, and Special Educational Needs provision was broken.
“If ever there was a time for us to be involved in education it is now. I don’t need to tell you that there are those calling for an end to the influence of religion in education. We don’t do religion in education; we do faith, we do Christianity. We live it out through support, prayer and love. We aren’t in this for what we can get out of it, we’re in for what we can give. And that means building relationships, ascertaining need, meeting this need or fighting for it to be met,” Dr Brown said.
“Those who are calling for an end to faith in education are few, but influential. They play to their audiences, distilling things to simplistic mantras. And they ignore the truth, history, development, the realities of what happens day in, day out in our schools…”
In her speech, Karen Jardine said that the Council also wanted to highlight “…two significant legislative developments relating to the beginning and end of life which are under consideration in the Irish Parliament. A private member’s bill seeks to further liberalise abortion legislation, bringing it more into line Northern Ireland. The proposals under consideration are in stark contrast to previous commitments made by the Irish Government following the Eighth Amendment referendum to make abortions ‘rare’, and ensure that babies with disabilities would not be terminated.
Miss Jardine continued, “At the end of life a Joint Oireachtas Committee has been asked to consider and make recommendations for legislative and policy change relating to what they have termed ‘assisted dying’. It is deeply disappointing that the terms of reference presume a direction of travel of policy and legislative change, and that the Committee does not intend to carry out an open call for submissions.”
She pointed out that the resolutions before the General Assembly “…call on the Irish Government to place a greater focus on the provision of world-leading and compassionate care for women, children and their families especially those experiencing a pregnancy crisis, and to prioritise and resource the provision of excellent palliative care across the Republic of Ireland for those who are at the end of their life.” These resolutions that affirm the value and dignity of human life, from before birth to the end of life were passed by the General Assembly.
Photos (1&2) PCI's Public Affairs Officer, Karen Jardine seconding the Council for Public Affairs' Report at today's General Assembly. Rev Daniel Kane, Convener of the Council can be seen listening behind, having proposed the report to the General Assembly.
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