O’Keeffe: Special needs will be spared cuts

THE area of special needs will not be affected by any budgetary cuts, Education and Science Minister Batt O’Keeffe declared yesterday.

“We want to make certain that, in any education cutbacks, special needs will not be affected by either the employment of teachers, special needs assistants or, indeed, annual grants. They have been devoid of any cuts in that area and that is as it should be,” he said, pointing out that the Government has prioritised the area of special needs over the next number of years.

Mr O’Keeffe was speaking at the presentation of the Cork Person of the Month award in Charleville, Co Cork, to Dr Martin O’Donnell, who has been chairman of what is now St Joseph’s Foundation, founded in the town 40 years ago.

He said he had announced in his speech on the budget the provision of €10 million which will provide 125 extra therapy posts targeted at children of school-going age. Ninety of these posts will be provided in the disability service area.

Mr O’Keeffe said St Joseph’s Foundation was an excellent example of what can be achieved in a partnership between government, health service, staff and the local community.

He said Dr O’Donnell was the manifestation, human face and living testimony of the foundation’s ongoing local voluntary effort.

“It is a story of local community spirit, energised by the impulse to help others to overcome adversity and to learn as one people what it is to triumph and what it is to fail — but to do both courageously,” he said.

Award organiser Manus O’Callaghan said it was an extraordinary tribute that 250 people turned up to honour Dr O’Donnell at the presentation breakfast function in Charleville Park Hotel.

Dr O’Donnell said he was very honoured to have been presented with the award which he dedicated to all those associated with St Joseph’s over the years, including the founders, board members, full-time and voluntary staff, service users and their families.

He thanked state and other agencies, local communities for their voluntary efforts, politicians and fundraisers for their support and paid tribute to his wife, Veronica, and their family.

Dr O’Donnell said: “We have further developments to do, but the real work of St Joseph’s is to keep our existing services at a very high standard,” he said.

Conor Counihan, chief executive St Joseph’s Foundation which provides services for 450 people with learning disabilities from a 40 kilometre catchment area of Charleville presided.

The Cork People of the Year awards are sponsored by RTÉ, Irish Examiner, Southern Advertising and Sheraton Fota Island Hotel.