Sir, – Andrew Doyle (June 13th) asks what costs, if any, the church has contributed to Irish schools in the past 10, 20 or 30 years. In addition to providing a free site, the diocese of Kilmore contributed a little over €1.5 million towards the cost of replacing the second-level school St Patrick's College Cavan in 2012-13. This was in addition to the €9 million provided by the State. The church money paid for a floodlit all-weather pitch, running track, five hard courts, total refurbishment of an existing 12-room block, including provision of a home economics room (in an all-boys school) and three extra science labs (six in total), a small extra canteen, reroofing an existing sports hall to use for circuit training, a kitchen that can provide healthy dinners for 600-plus students (the State just provides soup and sandwiches facilities), a full-size stage for school musicals, and miscellaneous other extras.
The State provided a great new school, and the Kilmore diocese ensured its facilities, educational and sporting are outstanding. – Yours, etc,
Dr LIAM McNIFFE,
(Former Principal
of St Patrick’s College
Cavan),
Kells, Co Meath.