Ruane's Irish language waste slammed
02 June 2008
Commenting on the revelation that Caitriona Ruane defied the advice of her own advisers to overturn the decision of her direct rule predecessor and approve a new Irish-language school in Londonderry Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister said:
“Today’s revelation is yet further evidence of Sinn Fein/IRA’s desire to promote a Republican agenda even when it flies in the face of common sense. Of course, opening another Irish-medium school plays well to the Republican gallery but it defies logic when the Minister already knew that there were already empty desks in Londonderry’s existing Irish language school.
“Even Ruane’s head of development and infrastructure stated that the existing Irish-medium primary school was “in sharp decline” yet the Minister pressed ahead and awarded funding.
“That a Republican Minister could overturn the decision of her direct rule predecessor to reject the school’s application because there was “significant surplus capacity at the nearest Irish-medium primary school” and ignore the advice of senior civil servants does not say much for the supposed accountability of Ministers!”
ENDS
