Madam, – I am shaking myself awake from the pleasant reverie into which I was induced by Ian d’Alton’s letter (October 7th), (whereby I was elevated from working class and wondering from where would come the money to pay the bills to a position of middle-class omnipotence), to protest at what is now fast becoming a sectarian spat regarding grant-aided Protestant education.
Mr d’Alton and others like him should be gently reminded that the requirement for a religious- based education comes not from Ireland’s Protestant communities, but from the Catholic Church and its adherents. In the North of Ireland where a state education was put into place it was immediately labelled as “Protestant” and the Catholic Church demanded, and got, a separate and fully funded alternative.
As someone who supports the present system, may I say that that support will be withdrawn the moment one of our political parties makes it an item on their platform to consign the present system to the dustbin of history and to replace it with a secular and free education system open to all. Until then could I ask that a tiny minority – (less than 4 per cent?) – be allowed some modicum of generosity. – Yours, etc,