Funding faith-based groups

Madam, - The rarefied atmosphere of the University of Notre Dame in the US must have gone to the head of our Minister of State…

Madam, - The rarefied atmosphere of the University of Notre Dame in the US must have gone to the head of our Minister of State for Integration Policy, Conor Lenihan, when he said that integration funding for faith-based groups would be made available to long-established organisations as well as new, migrant-run churches ( The Irish Times, October 16th).

While he is in the land of Thomas Jefferson, who advocated the separation of church and state, he should reflect on Article 44, 2.2 of our own Constitution - "the state guarantees not to endow any religion" - and be aware that sectarianism is the first cousin of racism. - Yours, etc,

KEN McCUE, Smithfield Village, Bow Street, Dublin 7.