I am grateful for the opportunity afforded me to raise a matter of considerable importance to those who are seeking to establish a facility for multi-denominational education in Sligo. The issues are rather straightforward but to me very worrying. There is a group in Sligo known as the Sligo School Project. That group have come together for the purpose of providing facilities for their children for multi-denominational education. I have in front of me a large amount of correspondence which the group has had with different Ministers, including the present Minister, and with officials of the Department of Education. I cannot fail — here I must substantiate what I am saying, which I intend to do — to get the impression that unnecessary obstacles have been placed in the way of their endeavours. The project people are very pleased that in late 1985 approval was given in principle for such a school. The impression had been given that as long as the Sligo School Project met with the normal conditions they could look forward to their project being successful and the school being provided.
The difficulties they encountered are as follows. Initially, approval had been given, in principle, in the autumn of 1985. They then set about finding a building for the school. They found the Dental Mirror factory at Cleveragh and they asked the Department on 22 October 1985 for a reply as to whether it was suitable and if funds would be available for the modification of the building. In the meantime, in order not to present a single option, they approached Sligo Vocational Education Committee. That committee in a very forward looking and generous way, agreed to provide a site for a temporary building for the provision of the school. They now had two options on offer. A contingent issue might be in relation to the first option that some money would be available for the adaptation of the building, and it become clear that there would be very little money available and even at that stage the group were experiencing difficulty in securing answers to very specific questions. For example, is option A in relation to the buildings acceptable? Is option B acceptable?
In their letter of 22 October 1985 the group requested a reply in writing before the end of October so that they would know what to do. At that stage they were aiming to open in September 1986. They wrote on 9 December 1985 requesting an answer to their letter. On 16 December 1985 the office of the Minister for Education wrote to Ms. Nuala Moloney, secretary of the Sligo School Project, Hazelwood Avenue, Sligo, saying:
The Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, TD, has asked me to acknowledge receipt of your letter on 9th December, 1985 regarding Sligo School Project's proposal to purchase/lease the Dental Mirror Factory at Cleveragh. Inquiries have been made in this matter and a further letter will be sent to you as soon as possible.
We must try to resolve this matter because having received letters from the political people involved, the Minister of the day — who is here this evening and for whom I have a high personal regard — his predecessor and several other representatives of that constituency, the project is not advancing any further. This group have come together, are agreed what they want, have found tentative buildings but cannot get answers to their questions. Then they come to their next difficulty, they cannot get meetings with the appropriate officials in the Department of Education. On 23 December 1985 — two days before Christmas — they wrote a letter to the Minister for Education stating:
Dear Minister,
Having met the requirements of your Department the Sligo School Project has received provisional recognition for its school in a letter dated 16th December, 1985. The Project is pleased with this development.
However, other aspects of that letter created a deep sense of shock and anger within the Project:
The acquisition of temporary premises is a matter for the school promoters. The rules for National Schools do not provide for grant-aid towards the purchase or the carrying out of works to make such premises suitable. Accordingly, grants would not be available at this stage for the acquisition or conversion of the former Dental Mirror Factory.
The project always appreciated that in the short term there was excess space in the Dental Mirror Factory but was confident that this could be a decided advantage in the developing situation. However, the Project concedes that it presented problems for the Department of Education. But that does not excuse the discriminatory stance adopted by the Department in disallowing any grant aid.
No such question could be raised with the alternative proposal, i.e. the V.E.C. site.
I must emphasise that the Sligo VEC offered a site to the project.
However, at a meeting between the Project's representatives and Mr. D. O'Lochlainn, Department of Education, on the 17th December, 1985, it was suggested that similar conditions concerning grant-aid would apply. Derisory sums were mentioned in relation to the contribution of the rent of pre-fabs. This is totally unacceptable to the Project. It demands at minimum terms similar to the Bray School Project with which Sligo has many parallels.
We again appeal to you, Minister, to guarantee our constitutional right to have multi-denominational education available to our children by ensuring fair treatment for the Sligo School Project.
There is a courteous series of letters between the promoters of this project and the people they met along the way. They give an example of meetings they had and they wrote to the present Minister on 14 February 1986 stating:
On behalf of the Sligo School Project I wish to congratulate you on your new appointment and look forward to your support in the future.
Some people say this in letters to the Minister and do not mean it but I know that on this occasion it was meant.