Jailed secondary schoolteacher Enoch Burke has claimed before a fitness-to-teach panel of the Teaching Council at its offices in Maynooth that the inquiry is not being held in public. As chairman of the panel, Andy Pike sought at the outset of the inquiry to make the customary opening statement, but Burke interrupted him, claiming that the inquiry was not being held in public as required by statute. Burke claimed that members of his family, who he said were in the lobby downstairs and who wished to attend the inquiry, were asked by a Teaching Council staff member, who Burke said was accompanied by three members of a private security firm, to provide their names, which they refused to do. He said there were “four or five” security personnel, “maybe more”, who he also said were “well built”, at the approaches to the building where the Teaching Council offices are located. He said members of the public would find such questions “intimidatory, should teachers want to attend” the inquiry, and would “dissuade” them from coming, adding that the approach was “intimidatory to the ordinary person” who might wish to come. “The inquiry is not being held in public, if that’s what members of the public are being asked to do,” Burke said.He also said the inquiry was being held behind “two sets of electronically locked doors”. He said such a situation, including asking for names, did not arise in the courts. Burke asked the panel that members of his family be allowed to attend without having to submit their names. Pike said that members of Burke’s family could attend the inquiry without providing their names but that the number of these family members would be added to the people already attending for fire, health and safety purposes. The panel adjourned for lunch to allow Burke to consult family members regarding this proposal. The inquiry regarding Burke relates in the main to complaints regarding allegations that he trespassed at his former school, Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath, in breach of court orders. Burke, who is currently in Castlerea Prison over his contempt of these orders, appeared in person before the fitness-to-teach panel. On Monday, Burke initiated High Court proceedings against the members of the panel convened to hear the inquiry – chairperson Andy Pike, Adrian Guinan, and Clodagh O’Hara. He sought an injunction to halt the scheduled hearing from going ahead, claiming bias.He claimed that Pike was biased and that Pike had promoted social media posts relating to St Patrick’s Day floats that “mocked and parodied” him.However, Burke was told by Eoghan O’Sullivan, barrister for the director of the Teaching Council at the High Court proceedings that he could make an application before the panel for the recusal of Pike. O’Sullivan further told the schoolteacher that the panel was also open to him making an application for adjournment. Burke agreed to that proposal, noting that this was without prejudice to his position in the High Court proceedings.The fitness-to-teach inquiry was scheduled to run on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Burke has spent almost two years in jail over separate periods. He was formally dismissed from his post at Wilson’s last month. The school suspended and later dismissed Burke over his conduct towards then-principal Niamh McShane at a school religious event in June 2022. The confrontation arose in circumstances where McShane had earlier directed teachers to address a student by a new name and with the pronouns “they” and “them”.Burke, an evangelical Christian, has maintained this request went against his religious beliefs. He has repeatedly breached the order to stay away from the school.