Letter from the Kildare Education Ministries Board to the St. Joseph's College Community

28 January 2020

To the Members of the St Joseph’s College community,

Welcome to the new school year! I trust 2020 has started well for you and your families despite the difficult summer we have all experienced.

I write to inform you with news of our Principal, Mr Michael Delaney. Michael has advised the Kildare Education Ministries Board that he has Parkinson’s disease. The Board appreciates Michael’s courageous acknowledgement of this condition and expresses its commitment to work with Michael in monitoring its impact on the leadership of the college. At this time, the specialist advice is that Michael can function quite normally with appropriate medical management. As a responsible employer, Kildare Education Ministries wishes to support Michael in adapting the demands of the principal’s role to this new health care reality. One area is the need for Michael to vary his working hours this year. It is anticipated that Michael will generally work a nine day fortnight during 2020.

As is the current practice, when the principal is absent from the school, a member of the leadership team is nominated to lead the school. This is the policy of Kildare Education Ministries and when Michael is absent from St Joseph’s this will apply. In addition, this year Mr Tim Campbell, College Leader – Projects & Communications, joins the very competent leadership team which has the big picture understanding of the school and its needs. Michael and the Board will monitor this arrangement throughout the year and Mr Jeff Burn, Executive Officer of Kildare Education Ministries Board will be in regular communication with Michael and the leadership team.

I reiterate, that as a compassionate employer, the Board has taken these reasonable steps to allow Michael to continue as Principal of St  Joseph’s College  –  a school he  is passionate about  and  for which he has a dynamic vision. Kildare Education Ministries Board has every confidence in Michael’s energy and drive to continue leading St Joseph’s College, particularly as the school commences a new phase in its development.

Warmest Regards,

Louise Cleary csb

Chair, Kildare Education Ministries Board

KILDARE EDUCATION MINISTRIES BOARD