Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Last week, I brought an issue to the House with regard to St. Augustine's special school in Blackrock for children with mild intellectual disabilities. That was following a mobilisation, if you like, by very concerned parents about the children and plans by St. John of God Community Services to cut HSE funding to vocational services. I was glad to hear that on foot of the protests and campaigning of the families, a stay, as it were, had been put on the plan to cut entirely the vocational services to St. Augustine's School. Can we get a commitment that it will not just be a stay? According to the report I have read, while there is a stay, it will be reviewed and there will be further consultation, but these cuts in vocational services are still not absolutely off the table. I ask for a commitment that hands will be taken off any effort to take away these vocational services.

In addition, the Taoiseach needs to look at some of these services that one might call preventative in nature and that are being funded by the health services generally, which seem to be being cut to move resources towards what might be considered more emergency issues. Of course we need to deal with emergencies, but that should not be at the expense of youth or preventative projects dealing with children with disabilities or, as in a case I have mentioned-----

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