IN YET another blow to parents of special needs children, The Mayo News has learned that St Brid’s Special School in Castlebar may lose three of its 13 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in June next. St Brid’s caters for almost 25 children with severe, profound and moderate learning difficulties, as well as children with autism, all of whom require care on an almost continual basis.
Labour’s Cllr Keith Martin has revealed the damning news that the school is also to be targeted by the swingeing cuts, implemented in the wake of the National Council for Special Education review, and set to be appealed by neighbouring Castlebar school, St Anthony’s Special School.
However, when contacted yesterday by The Mayo News, principal, Ms Cathy Craughwell declined to comment on the news for the moment. However, it is understood that the announcement was formally made at a board of management meeting held last night, Monday.
Responding to the news, Cllr Keith Martin said: "I am disgusted and appalled at the proposal for cuts at both schools in Castlebar, and I have requested that the Labour Parliamentary Party take this issue up with the Minister in the Dáil. SNAs are not just classroom helpers, they are trained and experienced in their work and they cannot be withdrawn from special schools willy-nilly just to help Batt O’Keeffe and the Government balance their books."
"In the case of St Brid’s school, SNAs feed some children through tubes into their noses or stomachs; this is complicated and detailed work which cannot be done by a teacher or a volunteer," Cllr Martin continued. "This FF-Green government promised it would protect the vulnerable when dealing with the country’s finances. Its seems to me that in the case of St Brid’s and St Anthony’s that they are specifically targeting the vulnerable as a ‘soft touch’ to save money," he added.
In conclusion, Cllr Martin has called on the minister to answer the following question:"If St Brid’s needed 13 Special Needs Assistants when the finances were good then how do these children require less help in a recession?"
This article was written by Áine Ryan and appeared in the MAYO NEWS, 23rd March 2010
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