Dempsey issues schools funding threat

EDUCATION MINISTER Noel Dempsey said yesterday that schools from which parents withdrew their children in protest at run-down conditions would be punished by not getting any funding priority.

Mr Dempsey yesterday accused such parents of punishing their children in a bid to influence Department of Education priorities. Launching details of next year’s school building programme, Mr Dempsey raised the issue of Gortahork National School in Donegal, where parents have withdrawn their children from classes because of a rat-infested playground and E.coli levels from a sewage problem.

Parents of the 119 pupils at the 74-year-old school stepped up their campaign to highlight problems at the school eight days ago by withdrawing their children Mr Dempsey said he wanted to send out a clear message that he was not prepared to tolerate the parents’ behaviour. Gortahork, which does not feature on next year’s building list, would not receive any priority until the pupils go back to school, he said.