Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin says baptising a child just to get them into a school is an abuse of the sacrament.

In a homily delivered at the Pro Cathedral in Dublin last night, Archbishop Martin lamented the slow pace of divestment of Catholic schools in Ireland.

But he robustly defended the need for a role for religious education in the Irish schooling structure, saying "Catholic education is not poison".

He also said that parents who do not want their children to attend religious schools have a right to see their wish respected.