Time off work for religious reasons?

Is a employer obligied to allow an employee off work to attend a regular weekly religious event or is it at their discretion?

If they do have to allow them off, I assume it can be deducted from their wages?

There is certainly no statutory entitlement to time off for such purposes so it is presumably a contractual, discretionary or collective/individual bargaining issue.

This might be of interest.

http://www.labourcourt.ie/labour/la...80256a770034a2ab802571870034259b?OpenDocument