Cardinal rejects claims schools are non-inclusive

CARDINAL Sean Brady has strongly rejected suggestions that Catholic schools are non-inclusive and said such claims are unfair and offensive.

The Catholic Church received some criticism over the shortage of places in its primary schools in parts of Dublin last September, leaving children of other faiths and mostly from outside Ireland without a place until new schools were opened at short notice.

More than 95% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools are run by the Catholic Church, although the hierarchy has given indications it may begin passing over their management in future.