The Evangelical Alliance of Ireland (EAI) has joined Atheist Ireland and Irish Ahmadiyya Muslims in calling for reform to religious education (RE) to allow pupils to choose another subject in its place.
A joint study from the group based on hundreds of documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the National Council for Curriculum & Assessment (NCCA) says that the state-sponsored religious education course at second level should not be compulsory.
The EAI said it was seeking to "protect children from coercion and discrimination in the area of religious education," the Irish News reported.
Around 85 per cent of Irish people say they are Catholics, but the group is concerned about school children being forced into religious instruction and Catholic faith formation.
The Atheist Ireland chairman Michael Nugent said that the existing RE course in schools "disrespects the philosophical convictions of atheist, secular and minority faith families".