Outrageous - Discrimination in our schools

IT is an outrage that school authorities can refuse children a place in their local school because they have not been baptised in the Catholic Church.

This divisive and defining abuse smacks of bigotry, Catholic dominance over what is a civic matter, intolerance and an entirely inappropriate hijacking of taxpayers’ money.

This ongoing scandal was raised again yesterday by Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien who said he had met with parents whose children had been denied a place in a local primary school and forced to make a two-hour journey to the national school that offered them a place.

Former education minster Ruairi Quinn tried to resolve this matter but ran into the usual stonewalling and bullying. It is unfortunate that this campaign has lost considerable momentum since Mr Quinn was replaced. This is another instance where our politicians lag behind the public and it can only be a matter of time before this discrimination leads to a court challenge. In that event it is hard to see how a struggling Church will not lose even more credibility.