A High Court challenge has been brought to the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn’s refusal to reopen a rural primary school in Co Tipperary.
It is alleged Mr Quinn has reversed a promise by the previous government that Knock National School, near Roscrea, Co Tipperary, would reopen in September.
The school closed in 2003 when the number of pupils attending fell to just three. However, numbers increased in recent years and, following lobbying from locals, the outgoing minister for education Mary Coughlan recommended last March that the school be reopened in September.
In a letter from Mr Quinn received on July 19th last, it was stated the school would not be reopened.
Deirdre Synott, Tinderry Knock, Co Tipperary, yesterday secured leave to bring judicial review proceedings on behalf of the Knock National School Special Interest Group aimed at having the school reopened in September.
The group was contending Mr Quinn was not entitled to make the decision not to reopen.