School ran up €500,000 debt on refurbishments

A school that racked up €500,000 debts on refurbishments with little educational benefit, and where teachers taught subjects they were not qualified to teach, has been slated by Department of Education inspectors.

De La Salle College in Waterford City has had to take out a loan guaranteed by its trustees to clear its debts.

The inspectors also found serious tensions between principal Gearóid O’Brien and the two deputy principals. They said issues which were discussed but not finalised at board level were presented to them by the principal as board decisions.