THE work of Cathal O'Searcaigh may be removed from the Leaving Cert curriculum in two years' time, following concerns raised by the Minister for Education that students may find it difficult to discuss the poet's life.

While it has been confirmed that his poetry will remain on the curriculum for another two years, a meeting of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to take place next month will consider the issue of O'Searcaigh's inclusion on the Leaving Cert course. It is widely expected among education circles, however, that the Irish syllabus committee of the NCCA will withdraw his poetry from the list of prescribed poets.

The move is the latest in a protracted saga surrounding O'Searcaigh's sexual relations with young men in Nepal, which was brought to light by Gortahork-based film-maker Neasa NiChianáin in her upcoming documentary 'Fairytale of Kathmandu'. It alleges that O'Searcaigh has groomed his young friends and subsequently pressurised them into engaging in sexual acts with him.

Minister Mary Hanafin, who is an old classmate of O'Searcaigh's, told the Dáil that she was "shocked and appalled" to read about the allegations in the papers. When asked abut the appropriateness of his inclusion on the curriculum, Minister Hanafin said the issue was "complex and must be considered carefully."

"There might be questions about the character of many people whose literature has been on courses for the past 100 years. This is different, however, because it is a current case involving a person living in the country. Students must answer one question about the poet, which could cause difficulty," Minister Hanafin said.

She emphasised that O'Searcaigh's work would remain on the prescribed lists for 2008 and 2009 as removing them would be unfair for students who may already have done considerable work on them. She is due to receive advice shortly from the NCCA but stresses that she would have no role in making the final decision.

The Minister's concerns have surfaced as O'Searcaigh issued another statement this week declaring his innocence. He stated it was "untrue and distasteful" to suggest that he preyed upon young men and apologised if his gay lifestyle and relationships had offended anyone.

The poet has now established a trust fund for his Nepalese friends in a bid to distance himself from the distribution of funding for chosen projects.

"I have considered deeply the opinions put forward by my critics and I can see how my actions could have been misinterpreted. It hurts me to think that I would be seen in this light. However, as my efforts to support and nurture the people of Nepal are more important to me than the privacy of my relationships, I have decided to establish a trust to administer whatever funds I am capable of providing in the future," he said.

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