De Valera to probe ‘Protestant’ schoolbus exclusion

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin has asked her junior minister Síle de Valera to investigate the exclusion of a Catholic brother and sister from a special school bus which is to be provided to the Protestant-managed Villiers School.

Ms de Valera got embroiled in a major row last year when she was forced into a U-turn and gave school bus passes to children from Clarina, Co Limerick, attending secondary school in Pallaskenry.

She maintained they were not entitled to school bus passes as Clarina was in the catchment area of secondary schools in the city.

She was forced into a climbdown in the face of parent anger.

She now has been landed with the Villiers bus row, which stems from the refusal of bus passes to the son and daughter of Harry Gleeson from Caher Road, Mungret.

Mr Gleeson, a Catholic, applied for passes for the bus, which will begin bringing students from Adare to Villiers next month.

Mr Gleeson was told by the chief executive officer of Limerick City Vocational Education Committee, Deirdre Frawley, that the bus was for Protestant children only. She was acting in her role as transport liaison officer in Limerick.

Solicitor John Devane, acting on Mr Gleeson’s behalf, said at the weekend he is seeking further legal advice with a view to taking the matter before the High Court by way of judicial review.

Ms Frawley has told Limerick Live 95FM she did not intend to change her decision.