O’Keeffe at odds with North’s minister over autism project
Mr O’Keeffe refused to comment yesterday on any possible political motivation behind criticisms by the Sinn Féin minister ahead of the local, European and Dáil elections next month.
She has expressed anger at the Department of Education withdrawing its commitment to a residential development in Middletown Centre for Autism in Co Armagh.
Mr O’Keeffe said the funds could not be released, as anticipated this year, due to spending restrictions in his department caused by the economic difficulties.
“I just find it unacceptable that one of the ministers is saying at this stage that they’re going to withdraw money, it’s totally unfair,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio programme.
She said she will raise the issue with Mr O’Keeffe at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting today, at the Middletown centre.
The centre, established in 2007, provides training for health and education professionals working with autistic children, as well as research on education.
The planned capital development which is ready to go to tender would provide a 1,450sq metre building with four classrooms and other facilities, and refurbish two buildings for residential use.
Mr O’Keeffe’s spokesperson said his department has spent Stg£3.5 million (€4m) in the centre to date.
“The decision to pause the expansion of Middletown Centre as planned this year doesn’t mean that funding is being withdrawn from Middletown,” he said.
Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore has hit out at the department for refusing to consider Barnacoyle school for autistic children, in Co Wicklow, in talks about public funding.
Mr O’Keeffe said the school is not a being considered because it caters for a range of disabilities and is not exclusively ABA (applied behavioural analysis).
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