'Unauthorised' works on Mayo school site prompt fury

Works currently underway at the former Scoil Phádraig site in Westport are unauthorised, according to a local councillor.

Cllr Peter Flynn has called on Mayo County Council to explain how there are development works taking place at the old primary school site when no planning permission has been approved. The site was earmarked as the location of a new campus for Holy Trinity National School before the Department of Education unexpectedly offered it to the local Sacred Heart Secondary School to accommodate student overflow. 

Speaking at last week's meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Flynn said hoardings measuring ten feet in height had been erected around the site and it appeared that construction works were taking place.

“I don’t know what’s going on behind the hoarding. Nobody knows. It is completely screened out.” 

Cllr Flynn requested that the Director of Planning Enforcement at Mayo Co Council attend the next meeting "to set out the rationale for the Department of Education carrying out unauthorised development”.

Cllr Brendan Mulroy seconded the call, saying that the situation had gone from “shocking to embarrassing” and that all anyone could do was “hang your head in disbelief”.

“Holy Trinity is the only Protestant primary school left in Mayo. We talk about being inclusive and about a united Ireland, but to see the way they are being kicked from pillar to post is downright shocking, and if ever there was a case for discrimination, that is one there. 

"Every religious group in Westport is fully supportive of Holy Trinity. They are an integral part of society, yet they are being kicked from one end of the street to the other. It is time the Department of Education stood up to be accounted for.” 

Cllr John O’Malley described the treatment of Holy Trinity NS as "awful".

"They got those grounds for their school in the first place. The mistake they made was handing it over to the Department of Education in order to get their grant and then the Department reneged on everything. It tried even to get Educate Together to go in along with them and when everybody objected to that, they said they would bring the Sacred Heart in for a few years instead, a few years, mind you. Everything has been worked against Holy Trinity. It is like a conspiracy against them.” 

Cllr Flynn told the management of the municipal district that they "will be held personally liable for any accident arising out of this site".