Paul Murphy calls funding challenges at Dublin school ‘disgraceful’

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Department of Education has been accused of “kicking the can down the road” over the funding of a Dublin school which is facing closure.

The Sacred Heart Junior School, in the Killinarden area of Tallaght, had said it will have to close because it can no longer afford to pay basic bills.

Principal Orla McLoughlin said the school has “suffered massive underfunding for many years” due to cuts from the Department of Education.

 

In a letter to parents last week, she outlined what she described as the school’s “major financial crisis”.

She said the school had informed the Department of Education that it no longer has money “to pay our basic bills” from April 1st.

Ms McLoughlin said the school “will have to close” and “teach remotely” if it did not receive emergency funding.

The Department of Education has since committed to an early payment of capitation grant which was due in June. The school is to receive the funding this week in a bid to avoid the April 1 closure.

Fianna Fail TD John Lahart said the grant will “help alleviate immediate cashflow issues”.

However, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said said this “does not deal with the underlying issue”.

He added: “It just kicks the can down the road of a lack of funding for a school in one of the most deprived communities in the country.

“The Senior National School is only a few months behind in terms of financial crisis. They are saying that they won’t be in a position to open from September of this year unless they get substantially more funding.”

Mr Murphy said the prospect of the school entering into remote teaching “presents a huge crisis” for families in the area.

He added: “This is because of a lack of funding, the debts are mounting up and they effectively can’t afford to keep the lights on to keep the building heated.

“They have been in touch with the Department of Education over a number of months, highlighting the shortfall in terms of funding, and appealing for extra funding to be given – and so far, the appeals have fell on deaf ears.”

Mr Murphy said: “It’s particularly outrageous when you contrast it with the funding that is made available to private schools on an annual basis, over 140 million euros spent by the State on annual basis to pay the salaries of teachers in private schools.

“Just one example: Glenstal Abbey, which has fees of 14,600 euro a year – more than the entire disposable income of some families in Killinarden – receiving almost 1.4 million euro in State funding last year.

“Whereas what Killinarden Sacred Heart needs is a few tens of thousands of euro to remain open, and so far that funding has not been made available. It’s absolutely disgraceful.”

The Department of Education previously said it was committed to “offering all available and appropriate supports to the school”.

The school is now engaging with the department’s Financial Support Services Unit to address its financial situation.

The department has requested further details from the school to determine what targeted support can be provided.