'It wouldn’t be acceptable in a mainstream school, so why should we have to take it?'
In 2021, with the country still in the grip of the pandemic, a group of parents in Cork was desperately trying to highlight how their children had nowhere to go to school.
As they turned 12, a sizeable group of students with a dual diagnosis of autism and an intellectual disability due to move on to senior schools had been left in limbo.
The limited number of special schools already open were over-subscribed, and waiting lists were closed.
Some parents sought legal advice after being offered home tuition by the Department of Education in lieu of a school place.
The “last resort” measure was, and is, of little use to students with complex and varied needs, for whom the routine and structure provided by school is crucial.
Running out of options, some parents turned to the media to highlight their child’s case in the hopes of prompting action.
All politics is local, and any public representative worth their salt knows that battles are won and lost at home. With that in mind, Taoiseach Micheál Martin — himself a teacher and former education minister — would likely have taken a keen interest in a shortage of school places right on his doorstep.
It would have been impossible to ignore it when his own GAA club, Nemo Rangers, posted online its support for a family whose teenage son had been left without a school place for a second year in a row.
Three days later, a new special school in Carrigaline was announced specifically to provide for the needs of children with autism and a mild or moderate general learning disability between the ages of four to 18.
The school, Carrigaline Community Special School (CCSS), was to be opened by Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) — the first “flagship” special school under its patronage.
Cork ETB has been the only patron to open new special schools in Cork over the last five years.
In 2021, it opened CCSS. In 2022, it established Rochestown Community Special School. In 2023, it opened East Cork Community Special School.
This September, it opened North Cork Community Special School — albeit in temporary accommodation, because its site in Carrignavar was not ready in time for the new school term.
Each of these special schools was sanctioned by the Department of Education, and they were opened quickly to provide school places for students.
Like all children, these students have the constitutional right to an appropriate education.
That right extends further than simply getting a child in the door of a classroom and their name onto the roll book.
Now entering its fifth year, parents at Carrigaline Community Special School have raised serious concerns with the about the school.
These concerns include high staff turnover, which at times has led to class closures, and the impact on students. There is also little to no access to the therapies and services necessary to access an education.
Parents say these issues combined have created an environment that is causing high levels of anxiety and dysregulation among the school’s students, resulting in students becoming distressed or “lashing out”.
Parents at CCSS say the increased anxiety among the school’s students has led to more referrals to Camhs, as well as increased school refusals.
Rather than addressing the core issues behind these behaviours, they say the approach instead has been “punitive”, resulting in an “out of control” suspension rate.
Freedom of Information requests, submitted by parents and shared with the , confirm that Carrigaline Community Special School issued 17 official suspensions between 2021 and 2024.
The school currently has 45 students.
The last official suspension at CCSS happened in 2024. There hasn’t been an official suspension at the school since parents raised concerns.
The FOI documents also show Rochestown Community Special School has issued 14 official suspensions since it opened in 2022 and June of this year.
There have also been two official student suspensions in East Cork Community Special School recorded between December 2024 to June.
Niamh O’Grady, whose child attends Carrigaline Community Special School, said: “I can tell you now that most of these children [in the school] would not understand the concept of suspension.
Last December, a group of Carrigaline Community Special School parents wrote a signed letter to the Inspectorate of Schools. They warned that the school was in a “state of crisis”, and they asked for immediate intervention from it and the Department of Education.
There have also been regular attempts to highlight concerns directly with the Taoiseach’s office and with the minister of state for special education, Michael Moynihan.
“We have tried everything, and we have waited for positive responses for everything,” Ms O’Grady said.
“We have written to the Inspectorate, to the board of management, Cork ETB, and we’ve engaged with the politicians. The fact is that time is marching on. Our children can’t wait anymore.
“We want the staff supported,” she added.
"I’m not criticising the staff. They go above and beyond, but the staff need support. We want the staff to feel more confident so it’s a happier place."
Early this year, two parents met individually with the school’s board of management and representatives of Cork ETB to discuss their concerns.
They came away from these meetings feeling as if they had been treated in a way as to “sit them down and shut them up”, and labelled as “adversarial” for trying to highlight issues affecting their children’s education.
Almost all of the parents who spoke to the for this article asked to remain anonymous, fearing repercussions for their children.
They say the high turnover of staff is directly affecting the students at Carrigaline Community Special School.
It is understood at least six staff members have left the school this year alone.
One former staff member told the that CCSS is a “very difficult” environment to work in. They said:
Management has been dismissive of staff concerns, the former staff member said, adding that too little is being done to rectify the situation.
“The rate of staff and sub turnover is unlike any other special school in Cork.”
In 2022, parents at Carrigaline Community Special School found out children attending the school had been delisted from accessing respite and therapies by two traditional service providers, Cope and the Brothers of Charity.
As an educational patron rather than a traditional disability services provider, Cork ETB has no direct access to either overnight respite services or respite beds.
The school also does not have full-time therapists such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, or behavioural therapists working on-site.
Last year, the school was included as one of several in Cork to pilot “enhanced in-school therapy supports”.
The therapists on the pilot scheme come from a local children’s disability network team (CDNT), which is funded by the HSE.
They provide 15 hours per week of speech and language therapy, along with occupational therapy.
In a best-case scenario, this would allow each therapist an average of 20 minutes a week to work with each of the school’s 45 students.
A behavioural therapist also attends a weekly consultation and advice session with the school, but does not work directly with students. One parent said:
"We desperately need an on-site, full-time behavioural support in the school directly working with the students and their families.
"The lack of therapy support has massively impacted our children.”
The teams are overburdened and understaffed, they added.
“We need a private provider to have a contract with the Department of Education to serve the [Cork ETB] schools, and to be paid under a grant scheme.”
However, a proposal previously brought to the Cork ETB that would have allowed for private therapists to work in the school under a service-level agreement, similar to ones in other special schools, was rejected by the Cork ETB.
Cork ETB did not provide a direct response when asked by the why this was rejected.
“Where would the children be now if they had gotten that help?” one parent asked.
Each of the parents who spoke to the highlighted the need for urgent action.
“We’ve gone too long, and our children have gone too long, without proper support. We can’t get those years back."
One parent said they are concerned about the “chopping and changing” due to high staff turnover and the impact of this on students.
“They need consistency and routine, and there’s no planning for things.”
The parent also raised concerns about the closures of classes due to staffing issues.
“There have been cases where there hasn’t been enough staff, so they’ve done a hybrid kind of thing, where one child is in Thursday but out on Friday and vice versa. To me, it’s not good enough.
"At the end of the day, you wouldn’t go into mainstream and say: ‘Half the class come in.’ There would be murder. You don’t do things like that.”
They added it would be “impossible” to hold down a full-time job with a child attending Carrigaline Community Special School, as parents are called to pick their children up so regularly.
Their child is now “totally dysregulated” throughout the school day.
"The environment is just wrong. All the behaviours we have in school, it wasn’t happening at home.
"Being told there isn’t enough staff so you can’t send your child in today — that’s not on.
Each of the parents spoke about wanting to move their children from the school.
One of the parents said: “There is nowhere else.
"We had no school place for a few years. I know obviously places are limited but...
"If I had the choice in the morning, I would change, even though change is massive for my child. You really feel like you are stuck. You want the best for your child. It’s such a big part of their life and your life.”
The parent spoke highly of their child’s teacher, adding they have “absolutely no complaints” about the teachers or SNAs.
“The teachers need help. They need specialised guidance from an occupational or a speech therapist. Every child is so different. All of those therapies would really benefit those classes, but they are just not being given.”
A third parent said their child has completely “regressed”. The high staff turnover has been “detrimental”.
"My child has gone from someone who loves school to someone with real regression.
"We had zero choice. This is not a school we would have sent our child to. There is no clearly-defined curriculum. There is no evidence whatsoever of any type of educational guidance from Cork ETB. They seem to have thrown all these children in with a one-system-fits-all approach.
“It’s not fair on the children who have huge needs and on those who have milder needs. They are just being missed out, because the teachers and the staff have to prioritise those with the greater needs. To be honest, it’s more like a childminding service.”
The parent also added that, in the past, there has been poor communication about transitions such as a new teacher.
“You have children starting who need to have a routine, and who need to be given information in advance.
"We would find out the night before school starts every single year who was going to be their teacher, if they even had a teacher, and that would be after plaguing the management to get answers. It’s just not good enough. The anxiety that leads to is horrendous.”
There are no opportunities for students to get workplace experience as there would be in other special schools, the parent added.
“There’s no simple things like there would be in other special schools such as woodwork, drama, dance, art.
"It’s like our children are being used as an absolute scapegoat.
"They are getting no education, and I can’t see how their future is going to develop or improve. If anything, it’s regressing.”
Being categorised as “autistic” means their child has fewer chances and fewer choices, the parent added.
“That goes against everything this country is meant to be about.”
The registered charity, which is based in Carrigaline, was set up by parents more than two decades ago to support autistic children and their families.
Mr Kennedy confirmed to the that he is aware of issues flagged by parents about Carrigaline Community Special School, particularly the “exceptionally high” suspension rate.
“It’s completely out of the norm. It’s miles bigger than anywhere else.
"It’s just completely ridiculous. There are a lot of children in that school who are suffering.
I think the biggest problem they have is the lack of health supports going into that school.
"It’s horrendous. You can give people a certain amount of time, but two years? Three years? I mean, come on.
"Kids are leaving the school, and they have had no services. If they really want to solve the problem, it would be solved.”
He added: “If you have problems in that school, in general, people with sensory issues, behavioural issues, social anxiety issues — they all need to be addressed.
“If you don’t address them, they just fester within the school system and start causing problems and, hey presto, you have a suspension rate that is out of control.”
For parent Niamh O’Grady, time is of the essence.
“We have tried everything, and we have waited for positive responses for everything,” she said.
“We have written to the Inspectorate, to the board of management, Cork ETB, and we’ve engaged with the politicians.
"The fact is that time is marching on.
“Our children can’t wait anymore.”
In response to queries from the on the issues raised, Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) said it “is aware of the matters raised and has engaged intensively with parents around their concerns”.
In a statement, Cork ETB said: “The care and welfare of our students and their educational progress is always the number one priority for Cork ETB and for our special schools.
“We deeply appreciate the trust that parents place in us by enrolling their children in our special schools. We adopt a child-centred approach that prioritises our school values of excellence in education, care, equality, community, and respect.”
Cork ETB is the patron and management body of 31 schools, including community national schools, community special schools, and post-primary schools, with a total enrolment of 15,336 students, it said.
“Since 2021, Cork ETB has opened four special schools in Cork — with an anticipated total enrolment of 160 children by the end of 2025.
“In developing our schools, we work closely in partnership with the relevant statutory agencies, including the Department of Education and Youth, the National Council for Special Education, the National Educational Psychological Service, the HSE, and the Inspectorate, as well as the National Parents Council,” the statement added.
The ETB continues to grow and develop its special schools to meet the needs of its students and enhance its provision, it said.
“Our schools benefit from considerable specialist expertise and skills, both internally and through the support of other State agencies, to support both students and staff across a range of areas.
“In particular, Cork ETB is part of a national pilot programme to develop in-school disability therapies. [It] is working closely with the relevant agencies to ensure its success.
“Our schools engage with parents regularly, both in their daily interactions and through our boards of management and parents councils. Cork ETB, through our schools, is engaged with the National Parents Council to support and further develop the role of parents in our schools.
“Cork ETB values our school staff, and we recognise the very important work that they do.
“We have a range of supports available to staff in our schools to ensure they are appropriately upskilled and supported in their work.
“Cork ETB looks forward to continuing to develop our special schools and to ensuring that our students receive an excellent education in a caring and supportive environment.”
The Department of Education and Youth said it has actively engaged with parents and the school to address concerns raised.
“Minister Michael Moynihan, along with department officials, has met with parent groups and the school in question to support resolution efforts,” it said.
“The department’s Inspectorate has also conducted several visits to Carrigaline Community Special School since its opening in 2021, including four advisory visits in 2024/25. There are now 17 special schools in Cork.
“Of these, 75% are operated by patrons other than Cork ETB.
“These 13 special schools provide education and support to over 1,000 children and young people with complex special educational needs.”
The department has provided substantial investment and tailored supports to ensure these schools are equipped to meet the needs of their communities, it said.
“As part of Education 2025, minister Helen McEntee and minister Michael Moynihan have announced the creation of a new education therapy service, which will support special schools from the 2025/26 school year. Separately, there are six special schools in Cork accessing the HSE-led in-school therapy pilot programme that includes Carrigaline Community Special School.”
The department said it has published guidelines on managing behaviours of concern and crisis situations in schools, developed through extensive consultation and trialled in special schools.
“These guidelines prioritise prevention, uphold children’s rights, and require schools to report incidents involving restraint to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
“The department will continue to monitor implementation and update the guidelines as needed.”
The NCSE continues to provide support to both schools and families and remains available to assist.
Families seeking further support can contact the NCSE, it said.
Ms McEntee and Mr Moynihan have committed to establishing a new education therapy service that will see therapists working directly in special schools from the 2025/26 school year, supporting children with a wide range of needs.
Separately, six special schools in Cork — including Carrigaline Community Special School — are accessing the HSE-led in-school therapy pilot programme.
The department said it has published Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations in Schools, a comprehensive set of guidelines developed in response to the need for clearer support for schools in managing challenging behaviours and crisis situations.
“Grounded in a children’s rights perspective, the guidelines promote core values, including child wellbeing, respect, collaboration, whole-school approaches, safety, and legal compliance,” it said.
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