Time ‘running out’ on proposals for special school in East Cork town

East Cork parent group Bridging the Gap have said “time is running out” on their proposals for a second-level special school in Youghal.

The group presented a report they had compiled to Oireachtas members in February, showing that there are considerably more autistic children in primary school places than in the local secondary school.

It showed that 35% of children with additional needs in their area travelled outside the locality for schooling, and that the State is spending €50,000–€70,000 per child per year to facilitate out-of-area placements.

Group member Neasa Ormond said the report was “weeks and weeks of working tirelessly around my kitchen table, but we’re getting nothing back”.

They have been trying to set up a meeting with education minister Hildegarde Naughton and the department’s minister of state with responsibility for special education Michael Moynihan, who is a TD for Cork North West.

However, they received a recent email from the secretary to Ms Naughton saying: “Unfortunately, due to a high volume of engagements, the minister will be unable to meet with you to discuss this matter.”

Time is running out

Ms Ormond said: “Time is running out, we’re coming to the end of another school year, and one parent’s child is going into 6th class come September, while my son Jack is going into 5th. Since we started this project, we are on our third minister for education. It feels like we’re just being pushed along.”

Mr Moynihan’s office’s most recent reply said they are “currently awaiting some updates which are necessary for the meeting to go ahead”.

A Department of Education spokesperson told The Echo: “Minister Moynihan is committed to meeting, and his office will be in contact to organise this in the coming weeks.”

To date this year, 55 new special classes in Cork, one of which is in Youghal, have been sanctioned by the NCSE, they added.