Mayo school meeting sought to resolve site impasse

THE board of management of the Sacred Heart School in Westport has been asked to meet with local councillors over the Altamont Street site impasse.

Holy Trinity National School's plans for the former Scoil Padraic base have been stalled after the Department of Education offered use of the site to the Sacred Heart School.

Councillor Brendan Mulroy has called on the secondary school board to meet elected representatives and to refuse the department's offer.

He also commented on the discrimination by the department against the Church of Ireland Holy Trinity NS, saying if this was a Catholic school this would not be happening.

They were part of the community for years, a minority religion in the town, and he wouldn't be standing by.

If the SHS refused the site, it would allow Holy Trinity to go in and continue their tradition of teaching. It was in the board's hands, he added.

“If we go down the road of putting Holy Trinity out of business, shame on this town.”

Councillor Johnny O'Malley said the department has to step in here.

To get a grant, Holy Trinity had to sign the site over to the department but then they had renaged.

Holy Trinity should be in their new school by now, while the SHS don't want to come up to the site at all, he added.