Mayo school being 'kicked out of existence' by Department stance

THE prospect of allowing the Holy Trinity school community in Westport go 'out of business' by not allowing them to build their new school at the Altamount Street site will be a shame on the town.
That is the view of Westport-based Fianna Fail councillor Brendan Mulroy who called on the Board of Management of the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Westport to reject the offer of using the old Scoil Phadraig National School on Altamount Street as temporary accommodation.
The old Scoil Phadraig site had been earmarked as the location of the new Holy Trinity NS but earlier this year officials from the Department of Education indicated they now plan to use the site as temporary classrooms for the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Westport.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District yesterday (Monday), Cllr Mulroy said that if the Board of Management of the Sacred Heart accepted this proposal, it would result in the death of the Holy Trinity school community in Westport and he would not allow this to happen.
“Holy Trinity is a minority school in Westport and if the department wants to go down the road of discriminating against a Church of Ireland school they are going the right way about it and it is terrible.
“The reality is if this was a Catholic school this would not be happening and it is discriminatory and it is embarrassing to look across at our friends in Westport who have been very good to us and part of our community for a couple of hundred years.
“Holy Trinity are very much part of this community and what are we doing to them? We are trying to kick that school out of existence. I think it is terrible and I would ask the Board of Management to meet with the elected representatives and reject the offer from the department.
“It is in the hands of the Board of Management and I would call on them to refuse the offer. If we go down the road of putting the Holy Trinity out of business then shame on this town,” he said.
He was supported by Independent councillor John O'Malley who said that Holy Trinity was given the old Scoil Phadraig site by the Sisters of Mercy to allow them to build a new school and it should not be given to anyone else.
“Holy Trinity got that site for the school and the only way they could get the grant was to sign it over to the Department of Education and when they did they got kicked in the teeth.
“It is not right and it is totally wrong what is going on. Holy Trinity by right should be in their new school now it is going on that long.
“The Department of Education would like to start treating these people like the citizens they are because they are decent people and have been around Westport for years and should be let build their schools and move in." he added