CBS crisis as college head resigns

Monday May 2nd 2005

THE Christian Brothers face a major crisis over the shock resignation of the head of their teacher training college in Dublin.

The former head Caoimhe Mairt?n had gone to the High Court claiming she was subjected to bullying, intimidation and psychological abuse by the trustees and governing body of Col?iste Mhuire in Marino, where she worked for five years.

She said distress and damage to her professional reputation were caused by a breach of contract by the trustees or their agents.

Her statement of claim alleged that she was publicly humiliated during a discussion about the future of the college and that she had been subjected to unacceptable verbal and non-verbal abuse.

At one governing body meeting last year she claimed she was genuinely in fear for her safety when one member became angry, rose from his chair and waved his hands aggressively towards her.

The Irish Independent understands that a settlement was reached last Friday with Ms Mairt?n, who announced her resignation to the staff - they had passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in their governing body some months ago.

Ironically, the college is celebrating its centenary this year. It has just opened a 320-student apartment block which cost ?35m raised privately and the next phase will see new lecture halls and state of the art PE facilities.

The college has grown dramatically in the past few years from a small college for Christian Brothers to a national institution with around 500 full-time, mainly lay, students training to become primary schoolteachers.

Ms Mairt?n's role in developing the college was acknowledged in a brief statement issued to staff last Friday in which the governing body and trustees said she had made a significant contribution to the development of the college into the vibrant institution which it is today.

Two years ago the college received about ?4m from the Department of Education and Science in State aid and the figure has increased since.

The college is part of the Marino Institute of Education (MIE), a private institution established as a charitable trust by the Christian Brothers.

However, the exact relationship between the publicly-funded college and the MIE private trust has been the source of some of the tension between the staff and trustees.

The staff claim that many of Ms Mairt?n's functions as college head had been taken away.

It is believed there is particular concern over the purchase of four apartments at Griffith Hall by the Institute and the source of the funding for them. The purchase was confirmed in a letter to the Department sent by the Institute in August 2002 by the MIE chief financial officer Craig Larner. The letter said that "in the last couple of years, MIE has built up an adequate 'buffer' or reserve of cash which has seen us through the summer months. This year, those surplus funds were utilised in acquiring apartments in nearby Griffith Hall." No comment was available last night from the trustees or the former head. It is believed that a confidentiality agreement was signed when a settlement was reached with Ms Mairt?n.

John Walshe
Education Editor

? Irish Independent