President urges migrants to keep culture

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese yesterday said immigrants should not have to “surrender” their own culture when moving to Ireland and that migrants were an incredible resource that could help the country realise its true potential.

The President was speaking at a conference organised by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, whose founder, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, said it was time for the religious to withdraw from running schools.

Sr Stan told the audience that it was “no longer appropriate” for the Church to operate schools in such a diverse country and said it was the role of the state to provide education to students, regardless of their faith.