'Reject' decision urged in west Mayo schools saga

A SECONDARY school in Westport which has been offered the use of a site earmarked for a local national school development has been asked to reject the offer.

The Department of Education has been accused of pitting the schools - the Sacred Heart Secondary School and Holy Trinity National School - against each other.

Holy Trinity has been progressing plans for a new school on the former Scoil Phadraig site on Altamount Street. However, the department recently stalled those plans by offering the Sacred Heart temporary use of the site.

At a municipal meeting yesterday, Councillor Brendan Mulroy said the department was pitting two local schools against each other but it was in the gift of the SHS to refuse their offer. He was asking them to reject it.

They would find themselves going between two different campuses, creating havoc with timetabling and difficulties for students with special needs going from one to the other, he said.

The SHS, he added, has the best staff and their building is not fit for purpose. What they need is a new school.

Every elected representative had fought hard for Holy Trinity's new school and he wanted them to be treated equally.

It was time for the department to stop messing them around.

Councillor Peter Flynn said now was the time to have real dialogue about second level schools in Westport and whether they should be looking at co-ed.

Get Holy Trinity relocated, he said, and have that discussion.

Councillor Johnny O'Malley said he didn't know where the department were coming from and it was very wrong what they are trying to do to Holy Trinity. They need to be told to get on with their school.

Councillor Christy Hyland suggested a representative from the department be invited to meet the four local councillors in the coming weeks.

Their decision had caused division in the community and they wouldn't allow that.