Parents at the Co Meath primary school at the centre of a dispute over religious practice continued to put pressure on the board of management yesterday over its decision to dismiss the school's principal.
A protest lasting several hours was staged by about 40 parents outside Gaelscoil Thulach na nOg in an attempt to highlight the case of Mr Tomás Ó Dúlaing. Several parents carried placards and demanded a forum to resolve the issues.
Several parents also attempted to talk with the chairwoman of the board of management, Ms Susan Power, about the decision to dismiss Mr Ó Dúlaing.
However, Ms Power, a local solicitor, has asked the parents to put any queries they have in writing and submit them to the board.
Ms Power yesterday declined to talk to The Irish Times and said that at present her legal advice was not to speak about the dispute, which has become increasingly bitter.
Mr Michael Dungan, who is head of a group at the school called Parents Against Religious Segregation, said they had contacted the Belfast priest Father Aidan Troy about the issues. The parents still firmly believed an important principle was at stake.
He said the board was not listening to the vast majority of parents, who believed a policy that children should be segregated was being imposed on them against their will.
The board has sought to dismiss Mr Ó Dúlaing because of his objections to its policy in relation to teaching religion at the school. The dismissal needs final approval from the school's patron, Foras Pátrúnachta. The INTO is expected to meet Foras in the coming days in an attempt to head off Mr Ó Dúlaing's final dismissal.
A meeting of parents is expected to take place tonight, and criticisms of the board and Foras are likely to be expressed. Several parents are considering legal action, but they are expected to wait until Foras Pátrúnachta makes its decision before taking further action.
The school is interdenominational, and problems have arisen over whether Protestant children should leave the class when the Catholic children are being prepared for sacraments, such as Communion. Catholic pupils are in the strong majority in the school.
Mr Ó Dúlaing has suggested that points of doctrine which divide Catholics and Protestant, such as Communion, should be handled outside ordinary school hours. He says this is what happens in multidenominational schools.
However, the board, acting on advice and instructions from Foras Pátrúnachta, says this is not possible and all religious instruction must take place within school hours.
The Fine Gael TD for Meath, Mr John Bruton, yesterday entered the public debate about the school.
He said the dispute raised a number of difficult questions about educational policy. "These are extremely difficult questions to resolve, some of which are far beyond the capacity of local mediation or facilitation as suggested by the Minister, Dr Woods," he said.
Until the matter had been resolved through a broad process of consultation at national level, Mr Ó Dúlaing should remain, but the existing arrangements for teaching should remain in place.
The Department of Education is reluctant to get involved because the school's ethos is a matter for An Foras Pátrúnachta.