Gogarty refuses to withdraw 'dregs' remark on shortage of school places

GREEN PARTY TD Paul Gogarty has refused to withdraw a reference to children who had difficulties finding places in secondary schools as “the dregs”.

The chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Science made his comments yesterday at a committee meeting addressed by five principals of primary schools that have high numbers of children with non-Irish parents.

The principals had explained the problems their pupils faced in finding places in secondary schools.

Mr Gogarty highlighted the problems his Dublin Mid-West constituents had encountered when trying to get into secondary education. He said there was a shortage of places and some pupils had to seek schools outside the area.

“The dregs, the so-called dregs, are going to end up there,” he said.

The principals, guests in the gallery and other committee members groaned at the comment.

Mr Gogarty then said he made the remark “in inverted commas”.

Later in the meeting, he noted the unfairness of a local newspaper headline which referred to schools with high numbers of children of non-Irish parents as “ghetto schools”. Addressing the media, he said he was conscious he had used strong language and he hoped the media would report on “the substance” of what had been discussed.

Fine Gael Deputy Ulick Burke then invited Mr Gogarty to withdraw his “dregs” comment.

Mr Gogarty said he would not. The comment was not his personal view, he said, it was something that was being said and he had meant it in inverted commas.

Tony McGinley, principal of St John the Evangelist National School in Adamstown, said he had found the term “ghetto schools” offensive and objectionable when he read it in the local newspaper.

“We are not ghetto schools and we do not deal with the dregs of society; we are centres of excellence,” he said.

Both Mr Burke and Mr Gogarty complained that Fianna Fáil was poorly represented at the meeting.

Of seven Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members on the committee only Senator Cecilia Keaveney appeared for some of the meeting.

Senator Brian Ó Dómhnaill sent apologies, but TDs Seán Ó Fearghail, Michael Moynihan, Thomas McEllistrim, Mary Wallace and Beverley Flynn “couldn’t be bothered to turn up”, Mr Gogarty said.

Mr Ó Fearghail said last night that he was on five committees and tried to attend them all.

He had a meeting in his own office yesterday, but had watched some of the education committee on his monitor.