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21/10/2009
Education Minister To Meet Protestant Schools
The Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe is to meet representatives of Protestant secondary schools today after being accused of a "doctrinaire attack" by the denomination's Archbishop.
Yesterday, during an address to the Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Synod, Protestant Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Neill strongly criticised last year's Budget decision to remove certain funding from Protestant Schools and cut their teacher entitlement.
Dr Neill said he believed the decision was not a financial consideration but an "unjust" and "doctrinaire" strike at the sector.
Batt O'Keeffe is to meet representatives of Protestant secondary schools today to discuss the effects of the cutbacks on them.
The Catholic Archbishop has come out in support of Protestant schools plight, saying there was a major public interest in preserving the minority schools, which have seen crucial grants and expenses axed.
Fine Gael's Brian Hayes backed Archbishop Martin's comments, calling for Minister O'Keeffe to "stop the inevitable collision course that he has set for himself between his Department and the various Protestant churches".
Mr Hayes said: "Archbishop Martin has shown good authority and a commitment to pluralism in education by the support he has given to the Protestant schools of this country.
"As I said in the Dáil yesterday, Catholic fee-paying schools had no difficulty with the funding arrangements that applied to Protestant schools up to the Budget of last year.
"I am appealing to the Minister for Education to back down on this issue and to stop the inevitable collision course that he has set for himself between his Department and the various Protestant churches. From the start, he has got this issue entirely wrong. It is incumbent upon him as Minister to restore the previous funding arrangements that applied to the 21 post-primary schools in this country."
See: Protestant School Cutbacks Opposed
(DW/BMcC)
Yesterday, during an address to the Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Synod, Protestant Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Neill strongly criticised last year's Budget decision to remove certain funding from Protestant Schools and cut their teacher entitlement.
Dr Neill said he believed the decision was not a financial consideration but an "unjust" and "doctrinaire" strike at the sector.
Batt O'Keeffe is to meet representatives of Protestant secondary schools today to discuss the effects of the cutbacks on them.
The Catholic Archbishop has come out in support of Protestant schools plight, saying there was a major public interest in preserving the minority schools, which have seen crucial grants and expenses axed.
Fine Gael's Brian Hayes backed Archbishop Martin's comments, calling for Minister O'Keeffe to "stop the inevitable collision course that he has set for himself between his Department and the various Protestant churches".
Mr Hayes said: "Archbishop Martin has shown good authority and a commitment to pluralism in education by the support he has given to the Protestant schools of this country.
"As I said in the Dáil yesterday, Catholic fee-paying schools had no difficulty with the funding arrangements that applied to Protestant schools up to the Budget of last year.
"I am appealing to the Minister for Education to back down on this issue and to stop the inevitable collision course that he has set for himself between his Department and the various Protestant churches. From the start, he has got this issue entirely wrong. It is incumbent upon him as Minister to restore the previous funding arrangements that applied to the 21 post-primary schools in this country."
See: Protestant School Cutbacks Opposed
(DW/BMcC)
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