Byrne: Sinn Fein Minister will sign off on proposed school closures

This week West Tyrone SDLP MLA Joe Byrne has responded to remarks made in last week's press by Derg Councillor Maolíosa McHugh. Mr Byrne explained that it will be 'Sinn Fein Education Minister John O'Dowd who will ultimately sign off on the closure of any  Rural Primary school' and that 'Councillor McHugh should spend more time lobbying his own party colleague on how closing rural schools is destroying rural communities instead of lecturing those defending these schools'.

Speaking on the comments Mr Byrne said "As an MLA who was given a mandate by the people of West Tyrone, I am entitled to express the views of my constituents which I represent and must defend. Despite the Minister announcing that pupil numbers will not be 'the straw that breaks the camel's back', many parents and teachers believe pupil numbers will carry the heaviest influence when the final decision is made on whether to close a school or not."

Despite what others may claim the proposed minimum pupil number was set at 105 by the Department of Education and if this is implemented by John O'Dowd then up to 40 schools may face closure. The bottom line is that many Primary Schools in Northern Ireland are earmarked for closure and it will be John O'Dowd who will sign off on every single one of them."

"During a radio interview last week I expressed my concerns on the potential damage closing rural schools will have on rural communities, these are concerns shared by the majority of people across West Tyrone. Cllr McHugh can play politics where he likes and attack me if it makes him feel any better, but that's not going to solve the problem, nor will it save our schools. If he thinks telling the truth to the electorate is 'scaremongering' then that's a matter for him. I would urge Councillor McHugh to put his time and energy into fighting against these closures, and lobbying his own party colleague on how closing rural schools will be devastating to rural communities instead of throwing toys out of the pram and attacking those defending these schools".

"This is not scaremongering. These are the facts and I would suggest Cllr McHugh deal with them. Sinn Fein is closing rural schools and already has closed a number in West Tyrone. As the MLA and representative of the people of this constituency I am not prepared to stand back and say nothing about the devastation this will cause to rural communities."