Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In accordance with the Education Act 1998, teachers are employed by the school management authority of each individual school. In the case referred to by the Deputy, in 2009 the school management sought to dismiss the teacher concerned.

The Maynooth statute provided that "a clerical manager shall not dismiss a teacher or assistant, male or female, or give notice of dismissal, until the Bishop be notified, so that the teacher if she/he will, may be heard in her/his own defence by the Bishop", and this statute was initiated in this case.

The school was subsequently advised by the patron that permission to dismiss the teacher concerned was refused. Subsequently the bishops agreed to abrogate the Maynooth statute, section 264, section 2, at a general meeting in December 2010 and this was approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education on 29 March 2011 with effect from September 2011. There is no agreement between the patron and the Department in relation to monitoring the behaviour of the teacher concerned.

My Department is not aware of any child protection concerns regarding this school and should the Deputy have any such concerns, these should be reported to the Child and Family Agency. As there is ongoing litigation in this case I do not wish to comment further until this action is concluded.

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