Crumlin school ordered to quit premises

CRUMLIN multi denominational school and its 30 pupils may be made homeless for the third time in three years when an order to quit their current premises takes effect today.

For some pupils, this will be the fifth move of their time in primary education since their original school was destroyed in an arson attack three years ago. These children's quest for an education has taken them from Crumlin to various temporary premises in Palmerstown, Rathfarnham, Kilmainham and Inchicore.

Educate Together, the umbrella body for multi denominational schools, said the Crumlin school's plight highlighted the precarious financial state of the sector. Multi denominational schools receive no State assistance to purchase sites and arc having increasing difficulty meeting rising rent bills.

The Crumlin project said that although the Department of Education has been sympathetic it has provided "virtually no practical help". It said the Catholic Church has refused to help by making any of its unused premises available.

The school is housed in a former home for alcoholics in Inchicore, which is being redeveloped by Zoe Developments as flats and offices. Zoe's solicitors say the school is illegally occupying the premises and have threatened legal proceedings unless it moves out by today.

Board members have been told by the banks they would have to remortgage their homes as collateral before funds could be made available to buy premises. "But in any case, tenants like us are not wanted. Children are generally not welcome in industrial estates, and domestic premises are too small," says the secretary of the school board of management, Ms Deirdre Tobin.

Although there is a number of disused church school premises in the area, Ms Tobin says the Catholic authorities have refused to have anything to do with a school of a different ethos.

The Crumlin school is an offshoot of the South City multi denominational school, which was housed in premises in Crumlin village owned by the Church of Ireland. However, this was destroyed in an arson attack in 1993. The South City school then moved temporarily to Stewart's hospital in Palmerstown before the Department found premises in the former Loreto school in Rathfarnham.

However, for some parents this was too far from Crumlin and they set up a separate school in a former factory in Kilmainham in September 1994. The cost of repairs to this building forced the school to move to Inchicore last year.

According to the principal, Mr Tom Conaty, the school has insufficient space to accommodate the extra pupils who wish to attend.