Mattie McGrath challenges exclusion of local schools from DASH
Deputy Mattie McGrath raised concerns about the refusal to grant DASH/death status to two secondary schools in Caire and Carrigan Shore, calling the exclusions unjust. He said local national schools have the status while the secondary schools were denied without clear reasons and unsuccessful appeals.
Schools denied DASH/death status
The deputy said the Minister of the Board in Caire and Brother Edmund Weiss's secondary school in Carrigan Shore are aghast and bewildered at their refusal to be included in the death status for both those secondary schools. He noted that the national schools in Caire Town and Carrigan Shore largely have death status and questioned why the secondary schools were excluded.
Appeals and specific schools named
The deputy said appeals by the affected schools were unsuccessful, naming Colossus, Tunisi and Edmund Weiss School in Carrigan Shore as having been refused. He welcomed that Newtown Upper School, Drangon and the Baptist By School in Cashel received the status, but stressed that other secondary schools in need did not.
Department response on DASH eligibility
The minister responding to the remarks said there has been a substantial increase in eligibility for DASH schools and that there are now almost double the DASH schools in the country than previously. The minister also confirmed an appeal mechanism is available and offered to take the deputy's details to pass on to the department for possible reconsideration.
Calls for clarity and fairness
The deputy argued the situation is grossly unfair and inherently unjust, saying schools cannot manage the same siblings who attend national schools with the status and then go to secondary schools without it. He demanded explanations from the department about how decisions on DASH/death status are made.
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The Minister of the Board in Caire and indeed at Brother Edmund Weiss's secondary school in Carrigan Shore are aghast and hugely disappointed today and bewildered at their refusal to be included in the death status for both those secondary schools. The national schools in Caire Town and indeed in Carrigan Shore have, most of them, and all of them, have got death status. So what's the difference? And there's no clarity and there's no reason given as to why they're excluded. They were refused, they appealed, the appeals have been unsuccessful for both Colossus, Tunisi and, as said, Edmund Weiss School in Carrigan Shore. They cannot manage the same siblings that are coming into these other national schools who have it and then they go to secondary schools and they don't have it. It's grossly unfair and inherently unjust and we must get explanations from the department as to how they make these decisions. We welcome the fact that Newtown Upper School got it in Drangon and indeed Drangon and the Baptist By School in Cashel but these are secondary schools that needed and I feel the schools have it and they haven't. Thank you for your question. My understanding in relation to the DASH schools is that there has been a substantial increase in the eligibility in terms of the DASH schools. So there are now almost double the DASH schools in the country than there were previously. There is also an appeal mechanism available to a school where they can appeal if they feel that they should have DASH status. So if you'd like Deputy you can give me the details of that and I will pass it on to the department and they may be able to revisit it. Thank you.
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