Closure of St. Mary's HS, Brollagh slammed by councillors

During discussions around Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s plan to lead stakeholder engagements, Chair Councillor Errol Thompson pointed out the school has now officially closed, and “it’s now about the next steps on how to proceed”.

The Council had written to all involved in an attempt to pull all interested parties together, and while there was a largely positive response, the statutory agencies have not as yet engaged.

Last month, CCMS agreed to meet with councillors over the controversial closure decision, but St. Mary’s Parents’s Council were excluded.

Only one councillor attended the meeting, as others decided to boycott it.

Sinn Fein’s Councillor Siobhan Currie felt the responses “illustrate and highlight what CCMS didn’t do when asked to do it by the previous Minister for Education”.

She added: “It’s really disappointing that the statutory agencies haven’t responded, and CCMS side-stepped the question.”

Councillor Currie proposed going back to the CCMS, the Department for Education, and the Education Authority to “ask them directly if they are declining to engage with the local community”.

She continued: “St. Mary’s may be gone, but there are still children in that area. This is an issue around sustainability. In some cases, children are facing a 70-mile round trip.

“There’s also a big issue around the human rights of children. What quality of life outside school and this excessive travel [will they have]?

“What about extra-curricular activities? They must be exhausted. We need a long-term solution.”

This was seconded by party colleague, Councillor Anthony Feely, who told members: “I’m very disappointed with CCMS and the way this was handled.”

Independent Councillor Bernice Swift felt: “The word ‘disappointed’ doesn’t reflect the serious emotion. It is a complete travesty. It’s outrage and disgust.”

She continued: “CCMS have been an abysmal disgrace. The very fact they went against the express wishes of the Parents’s Council to proceed with a meeting was outrageous.

“Both the Department and CCMS have failed the entire area who wish for sustainable education.

“CCMS need a dose of reality. We represent the people, and expressly acted on their behalf.”

Concluding, Councillor Swift said: “I’m glad we are unified in still fighting for the retention of education in that area. It’s too bad it’s a little bit late, but it will happen.”

Independent Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh described the closure as “devastating for the community” who have been fighting to retain the school since 2007.

He said: “St. Mary’s offered a really high-quality educational experience … but it suffered an ongoing campaign of death by a thousand cuts through undermining by institutions who should have been supporting them.

“As a council, we must stand over the need for continued education provision.

“I don’t accept the need to close this school, and the 70-mile round trip is going to have consequences, especially for those with special education needs. It is, in effect, an abuse of children.

“This is an austerity-led decision following years of attempts by various ministers of different parties to close the school. It’s all about cutting costs of children’s needs.”

Councillor Victor Warrington, Ulster Unionist agreed, and acknowledged the emotional effect on children and their human rights.

He said: “It’s nothing new to us in Fermanagh. We lost St. Eugene’s in Rosslea, and Lisnaskea High School. This added to travel distances.

“I was contacted over children with special educational needs having to travel longer distances.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to do anything about this. The decision is made. It’s sad, but we have to move on.”

The SDLP’s Councillor John Coyle told members: “I’m angry about this … I went to the CCMS meeting. I’m not going to stand back in dereliction of my duty.

“As an elected representative, I am standing up for my community. I was forthright in giving my opinion. I called them out.

“I will not apologise for going to that meeting; it shows I have leadership.

“We have to stand together and deliver for our rural community.”

He went on to describe the Rural Proofing Bill brought in by Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill MLA as “absolutely useless – it’s only an advisory”

He continued: “There should be legislation taking cognisance of rural people. That hasn’t been done. There were big press releases at the time … but it hasn’t done anything.

“It hasn’t protected St. Mary’s, or Brollagh, Belleek or Garrison. What has gone on is an absolute shambles.”

Last to speak was Independent Councillor Eamon Keenan, who noted: “There’s a lot of anger, and quite rightly so.

“There is no power to enforce the Rural Needs Act to which CCMS is fully signed up. It’s not actually real. There are no teeth in it.

“It needs to be enforceable, and these closures need to stop.”

Councillor Currie’s proposal passed unanimously.