President Higgins welcomed representatives of the Humanist Association of Ireland to Áras an Uachtaráin.
The Humanist Association works toward not only the separation of church and state but the opportunity for every person to live a reflective and active life based on the values of compassion, equality and reason.
In 2011 President Higgins became the first Irish President to officially include the Humanist Association of Ireland in his inauguration ceremony.