Equally, I would be surprised if politicians here were especially conscious of any religion other than the various forms of Christianity. To put that remark in context, the last census reported less than 150,000 people describing themselves as having Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. beliefs. Compared to the UK, there is simply not the sort of lobbying muscle there to push through a point of view that the core Labour vote is likely to disagree with.

Just to be clear, though, I would also hope that politicians / people here can distinguish between blasphemous libel and incitement to religious hatred or discrimination on religious grounds. The last two are different kettles of fish altogether.

On the other point, to be honest, I was annoyed afterwards that I had used the phrase “from the right”. I do not like being called “left” or “right” either. Equally, the fact that most of us feel uncomfortable about being politically pigeon-holed is arguably a sign of our political immaturity as a country, rather than a sign of being able to look through such categorisations. However, that is perhaps too long a story for here.

Hi Longman Oz. I just found the timing, coming within days of the UN World Conference against Racism (which involved high profile attempts by the Muslim world to get an international ban on blasphemy included in the Outcome Document) too convenient. When you see leftwing-parties being iffy on this subject in spite of their traditionally secular Left equivocating on a matter like this it makes you wonder. Some of my concerns with respect to the Opposition stance on this matter have been addressed with Labour and Charlie Flanagan announcing their opposition to these provisions but I still regard Fianna Fáil’s motives on this matter with some concern.

On your characterisation of me as being “from the Right”, I am not entirely comfortable with that. I consider myself on the Right on economic matters, and very much in favour of newcomers to our shores integrating, but I am equally a secularist and therefore at odds with social-conservatives to that degree.

However, re the rest of your article, can you actually point to anyone taking a PC line on this or is this just another “straw man attack” from the right?

Though given Ahern’s record, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was sincere.

What did surprise me was Labour’s supposed €1000 compromise. One cent is too much.

Bunreacht has a lot of 30s crap in it that should be expunged. Too many fundamental rights are compromised by “don’t frighten the horses” clauses