TD: Politicians can learn from ‘mighty’ religious

Aontú TD for Meath-West Peadar Tóibín, has hailed the “enormous work” being done by religious leaders in Ireland – including the work of a 94 year-old nun who was recently awarded an honour for a lifetime of humanitarian work – and insisted that politicians can learn from the actions of the religious at the coalface of social activism.

Speaking to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dail, Mr Tóibín said he recognised the “enormous work” religious leaders do “in helping the vulnerable, members of the Travelling community, victims of human trafficking, those in prison, those who are homeless, those with addictions, those who are grieving and so on, and in terms of integration and working with many in our migrant communities”.

Mr Tóibín referred to the particular case of Sr Catherine Lillis, a Columban nun who was awarded the Oireachtas Human Dignity Award from the Ceann Comhairle for her efforts in combatting drug addiction and said that he finds it “very interesting to watch many within the political establishment, who are so hostile to those of the Catholic faith in particular, rely heavily on those religious people to pick up the tab in areas of Government neglect”.