Coalition row brewing over supports for children with disabilities

A row is brewing within the coalition over the issue of supports for children with disabilities.

While Fianna Fáil now want therapists directly hired by the Department of Education, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman believes it should stay under the control of HSE.

Principals have been calling for the Department of Education to take charge of the return of therapists to special schools amid ongoing frustration at the current HSE model.

This call has been backed by Minister of State for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte, who has aired concerns with the HSE and has labelled the removal of school therapists a “mistake”.

At the most recent meeting of the sub-cabinet committee, it was suggested that the Department of Education take over responsibility for hiring therapists that would support children with additional needs in school.

It is understood that Education Minister Norma Foley was in favour of having her department take over this role from the HSE.

However, Mr O’Gorman pushed back on this and stressed that it could remain within the control of the HSE.

No decision was made at the meeting despite ministers agreeing that the matter must be signed off on before politicians break for the summer to provide children and parents with some certainty.

It was suggested that the three coalitions leaders should ultimately decide on the matter.

While those attending the meeting said it is clear that Tánaiste Micheál Martin would be in favour of the change, it is unclear how the Taoiseach might rule on the matter.

One source raised the fact that Mr O’Gorman — if he succeeds in the Green Party leadership race — will be the third person attending the weekly leaders’ meeting where the decision will now be made.

The Green Party will announce the successor to Eamon Ryan on Monday, following a leadership race between Mr O’Gorman and senator Pippa Hackett.

Parents have been venting anger over a lack of support for their children and have raised serious concerns around the HSE’s progressing disabilities services model for children and young people.

Introduced in the past six years, the model reconfigured children’s disability services and saw clinicians — such as occupational therapists, speech-and-language therapists, and physiotherapists — removed from schools.

Instead, they were placed on the HSE’s children’s disability network teams, the aim of which was to provide multidisciplinary therapy services to children in their communities and local areas.

However, the decision to remove therapists from schools was met with a backlash from parents and principals, and, in September 2021, Anne Rabbitte pledged to return therapists to special schools across Ireland, though this has yet to be achieved. 

She is now pushing for a significant pilot programme which give the Department of Education the authority to hire therapists themselves.