Department of Education accused of discrimination against Westport Protestant community

Officials from the Department of Education have been invited to the next meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District to outline the vision for Holy Trinity NS as well as education as a whole in Westport.

The invitation officials was proposed by Cllr Peter Flynn, who said that the saga involving the future of the Holy Trinity school building was one of a number of issues facing the wider education sector in the west Mayo town and its environs.

“I propose that we invite someone from the department of education to our meeting in July setting out what their thought process lies and ask them where they see the vision for both primary and secondary schools in westport and the catchment area. I want this discussion dealt with in a public manner rather than being lost in a vacuum, which it has over the years,” he said.

The Fine Gael councillor added that the future of second-level education in Westport is the ‘elephant in the room’ which needs to be resolved and for the two secondary schools in the town to sit down together and decide what direction they need to go down.

Blocking accusation

His proposal was seconded by Cllr Brendan Mulroy, who accused the Department of Education of discriminating against Holy Trinity NS and the Church of Ireland community for blocking the proposal to locate their new school at the old Scoil Phádraig site on Altamount Street in Westport. The site had been earmarked for the new Holy Trinity school but officials now plan to use the site as temporary classrooms for the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Westport.

“If the Catholic community were in a situation where the Church of Ireland community are in now I don’t think they would be in this situation. I hate to say it but it is absolutely discrimination against that community. They are a minority community within this town and I for the life of me understand how this situation has been left to boil and go so far down the road.

“Under the terms of a Good Friday Agreement we will eventually have a vote for a united Ireland. If you looked at the way the Church of Ireland community is being treated by the department of education and our government, it would be very hard to vote for a united Ireland,” he said, and called on Minister for Education Norma Foley to support the Holy Trinity community.

“I would be a poor public representative if I did not highlight this again today because it came up on numerous doorsteps. People are incensed about what is going on. We in this town have always worked together in partnership… and we need to treat all communities equally. I am calling on Minister Foley to step up to the mark and give Holy Trinity their school,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said.

‘Not fair’

He was supported by Independent councillor John O’Malley, who said the Department of Education would not have the site had it not been gifted by the Sisters of Mercy to allow Holy Trinity to have their school.

“It is not fair, and nobody should allow this to happen to Holy Trinity. It is discrimination and there is no question about it. It is time for the department cop on. We are supposed to be open to let other people in and we are treating our own people like outsiders… It’s time the department cop themselves on and do what is right and proper,” he said.

Director of Services, Catherine McConnell confirmed that the Department of Education has not been in contact with the council in relation to providing land for education in Westport.