Hollywood star Farrell criticises special needs support

Hollywood star Colin Farrell has criticised the State’s failure to adequately support special needs facilities, saying there should be one in every town in Ireland.

As the father of a child with Angelman syndrome, the actor said it was a true honour to care for someone with special needs, but he said it can really put parents under a lot pressure.

He was speaking during a visit to the Home from Home facility near Killarney. It was set up in 2009 by parents and relatives of people with special needs who recognised the need for after-school care to both stimulate special needs children and allow parents time to focus on the requirements of their other children, for example doing homework.

The facility, which runs on shoe-string state funding, is supported by local charities and families who pay fees for the out-of-school care it provides. Up to 15 local families are catered for by the centre. It is the only facility of its kind in the country offering care and stimulating one-to-one activities for special needs children during out-of-school hours.

“The work they do is essential for the children who receive the service but also the carers of these children — their parents, their brothers, and sisters. It is a true honour to care for someone with special needs but it can really put you under a lot of pressure as well,” said Mr Farrell who is in Kerry filming The Lobster. “To have two or three hours where you can bring your child to a safe place where they will be cared for, allowing mum to be able to lie down for an hour or watch TV... it doesn’t sound like much but it can mean the world.”

The actor said he was struck by the effort, passion and dedication of the people working at the centre and said: “I am baffled there is not more done by the State to support these essential endeavours.”