The Jesuits are to move their special primary school, St Declan’s, on Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, to the grounds of Gonzaga College in Ranelagh, and sell the former premises, the order has said.
It will use the proceeds of the sale of the Northumberland Road building to help fund the new, fit-for-purpose premises on the Gonzaga campus.
“The current school located on Northumberland Road is no longer suitable for the needs of the students, housed as it is in an ageing Victorian residential premises over four levels,” the order said.
Both schools will continue to have separate boards of management. It is expected the relocation will take two to three years.
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Founded in 1958, St Declan’s caters for primary school students, both boys and girls, with emotional and behavioural difficulties, who attend for about two years before returning to a mainstream school. The average class size is six children.
Earlier this month the Jesuits named 15 deceased members who they said were the subject of credible accusations of child sex abuse. This came after the earlier naming of three deceased Jesuits who were also the subject of credible accusations of child sex abuse, including two associated with St Declan’s.
[ Fifteen Irish Jesuits ‘credibly accused of child abuse’Opens in new window ]
A statement about the latest disclosures is posted on the school website as is a reference to the earlier statements in relation to suspected child sex abusers in the order’s membership.
“The Jesuit order have already named publicly three other deceased Jesuits with complaints of child sexual abuse again them including Fr Dermot Casey SJ and Fr Paul Andrews SJ, both former directors of our St Declan’s school,” the statement on the website says.
“As we said at that time, it is a matter of profound sorrow and regret to us that any child associated with our school would have suffered abuse by those who were meant to care for and protect them.”
As well as encouraging people abused by members of the order to come forward, the order has said it can provide support to victims and has put in place a redress scheme which people can choose to avail of rather than going to court in pursuit of damages.
