Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I know the Minister of State is deeply aware, Carmona is not a school as such. I want to thank her for her constant engagement, good faith and commitment to this issue, including coming out and meeting people. She has been exceptional on the issue. However, on behalf of the parents, I want to put on the record of the House that Carmona is not a school but a centre of excellence for children with severe to profound intellectual disability. I have spoken to parents today, with whom the Minister of State has interacted. They described how their children need constant therapeutic supports. As an example of the need for on-site clinicians, one patient is a boy of senior infants age but he is not in senior infants and never will be. He is not going into first class either. His number one learning goal this year is to bring a spoon from a bowl of food to his mouth and back down again. He has three therapy-based learning goals. They do not involve reading, writing or arithmetic. That is not on the cards. Three are four adults and five children in this room because that is what the children need. Both of that young boy's hips are dislocated. If he is uncomfortable or in pain, he has no means of shifting his position. He needs constant therapeutic oversight and support to prevent scoliosis and to help him to communicate. There is no way of deconstructing his therapy and learning needs. Another girl who is ten years of age cannot communicate at all. The speech and language therapies are not there for her. As a result, her behaviour is regressing because she cannot communicate her frustration. She cannot communicate anything to her family. She does not sleep much.

10 o’clock

Her parents are trying to look after her now without support but also trying to navigate a constant dialogue with the HSE, in which they have lost faith. I am aware that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, shares some frustration on this, and having dealt with the parents with this length of time it is understandable why. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response and perhaps I will come back in at a later stage.

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