The Irish state will be paying rent to the Catholic Church for 40 years so that more multi-denominational schools can be established. The rent will be paid for each school property which will become a multi-denominational school.
This is the latest shady deal between the Church and Fianna Fail Ministers.
Back in 2002, the FF Minister Michael Woods signed off on an indemnity deal to cover child abuse cases. In return for a mere €128 million, the Catholic Church was relieved of costs that arose from the horrific child abuse cases it covered up. Since then the state has paid out €1.5 billion.
Now the Fianna Fail Minister Norma Foley has done another deal to pay rent to the same Church authorities that got away with the indemnity deal.
89 per cent of Irish primary schools are still controlled by the Catholic Church. Since 2012, a mere 20 schools were handed over to multi-denominational ownership.
So, in order to sweeten the Bishops, Foley has done a deal to pay them ‘reasonable rent’ for 40 years.
More than one hundred years ago, France got rid of Church control of schools by passing a simple law that removed their grip.
We need to do the same here.