Therapists’ return to Cork schools promised for this week in letter

The principals of four special schools in Cork have received the long-awaited written confirmation that therapists withdrawn in 2020 and before would be restored as of this week.

According to a letter seen by The Echo to a school from the HSE head of disability services in Cork/ Kerry, Angela O’Neill, the four Cork schools included in the scheme are being allocated speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

The schools included in the scheme are St Paul’s Special School in Montenotte, Carrigaline Community Special School, Rochestown Special School, and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Ballincollig.

In the letter, the school was told that while therapists were being recruited, the local Children’s Disability Network Team would assign a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist to begin work in the school immediately.

Speaking to The Echo, St Paul’s Special School principal and joint chair of the National Association of Special School Principals Anne Hartnett said that the official notification had been received by the school that it was included in the pilot scheme, and that the letter had contained a pledge to install therapists in the school immediately.

However, she said no therapists had shown up at the school yesterday.

“I’m afraid now there isn’t the sign of the one therapist from each [speech and language and occupational therapy], nothing, nothing, nothing,” she said.

The pilot scheme was announced in August.

Before this, another Cork school — St Killian’s in Mayfield — had proposed a scheme under which it would receive funding to hire privately a number of therapists over a year.

A delegation from St Killian’s had met with Disability Minister Anne Rabbitte last November, and she had pledged they would receive funding to progress their scheme.

In the end, however, a pilot scheme was proposed instead of what St Killian’s had proposed.

The northside school is not included in the scheme announced in August.

During a late-night debate last week, Ms Rabbitte said in response to questioning from three Cork TDs that St Killian’s should be included in the second tranche of the pilot scheme when it is announced next month.

She added that it would be able to immediately recruit the therapists privately, as it had initially arranged on the basis of the minister’s commitment last November.

“School selection will be based on where the needs profile of the children identified as greatest, from an educational and health perspective, and where resourcing is not currently available in proportion to these needs”, she said in response to a private members’ motion brought by Cork North Central TDs Mick Barry and Pádraig O’Sullivan, as well Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire of Cork South Central.

“Regarding the provision of private therapies for children with disabilities, the Government and I remain supportive of the use of available private capacity, and the funding of same,” she said.