Hanafin uneasy at Marino controversy

The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, has expressed unease at the continuing controversy at Marino teacher training college in Dublin.

In a move which will intensify the pressure on the college authorities, Ms Hanafin said she was uneasy about the general atmosphere at the college and the continuing "uncertainty".

She also signalled that the trustees of the Christian Brother-run college should publish a report which they claim has largely exonerated them of allegations of bullying. These allegations were made by Caoimhe Máirtín, the former head of teacher training at Coláiste Mhuire in Marino who resigned last year.

While stressing she had no concerns about the quality of teacher training, the Minister said she was not happy to see the current situation at the college, where staff morale appeared to be low and where issues were certainly "not solved".

She acknowledged that the trustees had worked to change their structures in the past year. But new structures did not create better personal relationships, she said.

The Minister was speaking in the wake of the resignation this week of the college chaplain, Fr Liam McGroarty, and the threat of further departures.

The resignation came after a report commissioned by the trustees of Marino largely cleared the college of any wrongdoing in the events which led to the resignation of Ms Máirtín.

The trustees have refused to publish the report for legal and commercial reasons.

But the Minister said yesterday that she had published a Department of Education report last summer which showed that there was no misuse of State funds by the college. This was there for all to see, she said.

Ms Hanafin pointed out that although Marino is in receipt of State funds, it is a privately run college.

The unpublished report conducted by Farrell Grant Sparks (FGS) does not explain why the Christian Brothers agreed to an estimated €500,000 High Court settlement for Ms Máirtín last year - after she had complained of bullying, harassment and psychological abuse.

A summary of the report released to the media last week says the consultants found no evidence of bullying or harassment by the trustees.

In a key section, the report says the governing body and its key committees had "largely acted" in accordance with the lawful instrument of Government at Marino.

The INTO has also called on the Marino authorities to publish the report.