Meath County Council has become the latest local authority where a row has broken out over whether councillors should begin meetings with a prayer.
The traditional practice of councillors to open their meetings by asking God to bless their deliberations has been abandoned by the council’s new Cathaoirleach, Cllr Eoin Holmes.
The new chairman surprised his colleagues by going straight into the agenda without calling for the prayer.
Cllr Holmes defended his decision on the basis that that there is nothing in the council's standing orders to say proceedings should commence with a prayer.
"I'm trying to run the meetings in a very business-like and efficient manner. It’s my intention to get the work done on behalf of the community we represent," he said.
But Fianna Fail Cllr Jimmy Fegan who drew attention to the fact that the prayer had not been said queried the decision to drop the practice.
Councillors have now decided to refer the whole matter to the council's protocol committee.
Cllr Fegan said he believed the first meeting chaired by Cllr Holmes was the first occasion in 29 years when a prayer had not preceded the debate.
He claimed the decision was made "intentionally" and felt the Labour Party was trying to do something similar at national level.
And he contradicted the chairman’s statement that standing orders did not provide for the proceedings to begin with a short prayer.
"I don't see the sense of breaking a long-standing tradition; I don't think a prayer will harm anyone,” Mr Fegan said.
“I certainly wouldn't like to see it banished out of the chamber. We are a largely Christian country and I think the people we represent would not object to us saying a prayer at the start of meetings," he went on.
Another member, Cllr Bill Carey backed Cllr Fegan, saying he had been instrumental in instigating the prayer at the opening of meetings many years ago.