Parents react with fury to decision to remove vital therapy

The decision by the HSE to withdraw Speech and Language Therapy from St Mary's Special School has been met with an angry reaction from parents and public representatives.

Worried parents point out there are already lengthy waiting lists for services like speech and language therapy, while local councillors will write to the HSE to express their outrage a the decision.

Gemma Skelly whose daughter Kaci Skelly Gilbert has been availing of speech and language therapy through the school is very worried.

“Kaci is on a waiting list for everything. I can just imagine how long it will be before she gets speech and language therapy outside of school.

“It is a fight to get anything. I worry that she won't get what she needs, especially now this is happening,” she said.

Elaine Diggins, whose son attends St Mary's said the decision will have a negative impact on students.

She pointed out that as part of the same move, the HSE is also withdrawing occupational therapy from the school.

“St Mary's special school provides an amazing service for their students.

“However, the withdrawal of support services such as speech and language and occupational therapy to the school will negatively impact the children attending the school who happen to be the most vulnerable in society.

“I would imagine this will cause more stress to the wonderful staff that work there and is very unfair on the children.

“I believe the withdrawal of services impinges on their right to an education.”

She pointed out that there are lengthy waiting lists for services being provided by the Home Network Teams. And she has been told by the HSE that her son will have occupational therapy services within “24 months”.

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Ms Diggins referred to a booklet for parents, published by the National Council for Special Education in 2014 which says 'All children, including children with special educational needs, have a right to an education which is appropriate to their needs...

“Education is about supporting children to develop in all aspects of their lives – spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical'

At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week, councillors agreed to write to the HSE and Enable Ireland to express their outrage at the decision.

Cllr Alan Lawes said they were taking away speech and language therapy from people who had to fight tooth and nail for any services.

“They will be reducing the numbers receiving speech and language therapy through the school from 55 to five.

“Resources in that area are scarce anyway,” he said.

Cllr Tommy Reilly described the decision as disgraceful.

“The school does wonderful work, they have excellent staff and to think they want to take away the speech and language therapy is disgraceful,” he said.

Cllr Eddie Fennessy said there was absolutely no justification for the decision.

"They can dress it up however they like, but they can't hide from the fact that vulnerable students have been deliberately targeted in a cynical cost cutting exercise.

"They say you can judge the measure of any society by how it treats its most vulnerable. Well I for one am ashamed to be part of a society that singles out vulnerable students for such treatment.

"There are three government ministers in this county, local families need them to intervene directly and have this cut reversed.”