Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is not here to take this Topical Issue matter. However, the St. John of God special school in Islandbridge, providing services for children with profound disabilities, is in the constituency of the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne. I know she will be interested in what has come out about it over the past few days.

On Monday, Emma O'Kelly gave a report on “Morning Ireland” about three parents and their children who attend the school. One mother, Christine, has an eight year-old son who attends the school and who is both deaf and autistic. She is a lone parent who lives in Dolphin House. Her son is non-verbal, wears nappies and has received no services or therapies in the past two years. He needs supports for washing, dressing, toilet training, etc.

Sarah and Fabrice’s son, Joseph, 17 years of age, has been four years in the school. He has received no services. He needs speech and language therapy, as well as occupational therapy. He was receiving them from the HSE but is not now. Once one goes into a service like St. John of God, the HSE expects the service to provide them. Sarah described the situation like a ping-pong ball. One service blames the other and no one seems be able to get to the nub of the problem, namely, that there are no services. They are currently paying €2,500 per year for speech and language therapy. Fabrice said he can afford to pay but the lack of service discriminates against those like Christine who cannot afford it. Why are their children’s needs being outsourced to a private charity?

Catherine Lyons, secretary of the parents' committee, said no therapeutic services are provided. This year’s school leavers have never received therapy. She says they are in limbo and are the lost children. That is a terrible description for a parent to have to use about her child.

When Emma O'Kelly asked St. John of God services how many speech and language therapists were available at the school, she was told none in the past two years. She said she has seen in writing that it has been for the past three years while parents say it has been for the past four years. On occupational therapists, St. John of God said it took a consultation approach to 11 of the 92 children. That is not a service. That is just paying lip-service to it.

The parents' committee did a comparison of services provided between the school in Islandbridge and St. Augustine’s school in Blackrock. It got this information from genuine sources. St. Augustine’s has two speech and language therapists working exclusively in the school while Islandbridge has two speech and language therapists shared with 500 people in the south-west Dublin area. St. Augustine’s has two social workers working exclusively in the school while Islandbridge has an emergency social work clinic for two hours a week. Blackrock has two psychologists working exclusively in the school while Islandbridge has one psychologist shared with St. John of God Menni services. St. Augustine’s has one school nurse while no such service is available in Islandbridge. St. Augustine’s has 26 vocational instructors funded by the HSE through St. John of God community services. Pupils are supported for three years after leaving school in Blackrock. In Islandbridge, no such service is provided. Six modern houses providing residential services, Monday to Friday, funded by the HSE through St. John of God community services, are provided in Blackrock while no such service in Islandbridge. An after school independent living programme from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday, is provided in Blackrock while in Islandbridge, there is no such service. An extended school day for pupils in their final two years in Blackrock is provided while in Islandbridge, no such service is provided. That tells a stark story.

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