Delegates to the Irish Diocese of Derry and Raphoe’s diocesan synod have denounced the Republic of Ireland’s decision to cut subsidies to Protestant secondary schools in order to balance the state’s education budget, saying the cost saving measure violates a 1968 protocol negotiated between the Church of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.The Oct 29 synod also had sharp words for the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Bishop of Derry, the Rt Rev Ken Good said the political “brinksmanship” employed by Unionists and Sinn Féin had failed the people of Northern Ireland.
In his presidential address, Bishop Good told the diocese, which has parish in both Ulster and Eire that it was “questionable ... whether citizens over 70 years of age, on the one hand, or children on the other, should find themselves among those who are expected to pay [the] price" of government budgetary shortfalls.
He said that "throughout the Protestant community in the Republic of Ireland, there is much concern about the decision in the Budget to withdraw, mid-year, support services grants to many second-level schools under Protestant management. This action is, in effect, in contravention of an agreement with the Government in 1968, under which these schools were classified as within the free scheme, even though they charge fees to cover boarding costs which arise because of the dispersed nature of the Protestant population" throughout the State.
Following debate, the synod adopted a notion deploring “the proposed draconian cutbacks in education in the recent Budget.”
“Any attempt to transfer the Protestant voluntary secondary schools from the free scheme to the fee-paying sector is unacceptable and should be strongly resisted,” the synod said.
Bishop Good’s ire with government mismanagement was also directed towards the Northern Ireland Executive. Its inability to meet due to political bickering had left “many major issues without political resolution or direction, including the financial crisis, school transfer procedures, housing provision and devolution of policing and justice.”
The government was in danger of losing the respect of the electorate which was “disillusioned with a political system which promises a great deal but regrettably delivers much less than it might do.”
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(Source: RI)