Parents devastated as Cork special school excluded from new therapy pilot project

Therapeutic intervention in St. Killian’s Special School in Mayfield was withdrawn in 2020. Since then the parents said the school, with over 100 students, has not had a single therapeutic hour allocated.

Parents connected to a special school in Cork city plan to protest their exclusion from a new therapy pilot project saying they are “devastated” to be left out.

Therapeutic intervention in St. Killian’s Special School in Mayfield was withdrawn in 2020. Since then the parents said the school, with over 100 students, has not had a single therapeutic hour allocated.

The pilot will be provided by the HSE’s Children’s Disability Network Teams in 16 special schools across Cork and Dublin. It will be supported by the National Council for Special Education.

However parents of St. Killian’s Special School said they are deeply disappointed at being left out even though they welcome the long-promised roll-out.

“We feel we have no other option at this point but to protest,” a spokeswoman said.

She called for the school either to be included or for St Killian’s to receive a grant pledged by Minister of state for disabilities Anne Rabbitte in November 2023 for private therapy providers.

“In the absence of any explanation or clear criteria for the selection of schools for the pilot, this exclusion appears to stem from the incorrect perception that the children who attend St. Killian’s do not have as many complex needs as those in other special schools,” she said.

“This perception is entirely unfounded.” 

She said it is “both demeaning and dehumanising” for the children to have to continuously prove somehow their needs are complex.

For parents, she said: “It is exhausting and heartbreaking to have to continually demonstrate our children’s challenges rather than being able to celebrate their individuality and undeniable beauty. Our children deserve better. They cannot wait any longer."

The school has 104 students including 79 who have a dual diagnosis of autism and mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

Many also have ADHD, dyslexia or complex medical needs. In some cases students display severe self-injurious behaviour and suicidal ideation and are in urgent need of mental health support.

Last year “St Killian’s Parents Unite” met with Ms Rabbitte on the four year gap in therapy provision.

They discussed "the possibility of appointing a private multi-disciplinary team to provide therapeutic services to the school”, the parents said.

Their understanding was the Minister was “committed to finding a solution” and pledged “her Department would cover the costs associated with (private therapy)”.

However, despite the school finding a private company they said: “The grant was not forthcoming and no formal discussions have taken place with the Minister since.” 

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould met parents on Friday. He criticised the Government’s lack of support particularly Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

“The Tanaiste’s comments - that he believes St Killian’s should have therapists and that he disagrees with the prioritisation of community-based service provision – were nothing short of barefaced hypocrisy,” he said.

“Over the last four years, Fianna Fáil has held the Disability Ministry and Micheál Martin himself was Taoiseach for two years – why has he done nothing to support these children in that time?” 

He warned: “Telling parents that they’ll have services after January when the election will likely be over before that is just a case of kicking the can down the road to try to win votes.” 

Mr Gould called on people in Cork to support the protest which takes place Thursday at 1pm at St Killian’s Special School.