Board: Hanafin defamed principal

EDUCATION Minister Mary Hanafin was last night accused by a board of management of defaming the character of a primary-school principal.

A terse letter from North Kildare Educate Together School in Celbridge, Co Kildare, follows the minister’s alleged criticisms of problems relating to the opening of an autism unit at the school.

The Irish Examiner understands the centre was completed in 2003 but has remained vacant. Given that 75 such units have opened in the past year, funding is not understood to be the problem.