Parents protesting outside a Dublin centre for children with intellectual disabilities yesterday said their experiences were being repeated in similar centres all over the State.
The parents began a week of protesting at St Vincent's Centre on the Navan Road over what they said was a reduction in healthcare services in favour of education services. However, the Departments of Education and Health and the school's board of management rejected this.
The 31 children at the centre have severe and profound intellectual disabilities, and many are highly dependent on nursing care. However, the nursing staff has been reduced from six posts to 1½ in recent months, and parents were told yesterday that the centre could only cater for 17 children because of the lack of staff.
The centre was originally staffed by mainly healthcare staff, but following the O'Donoghue judgment in 1993, the Department of Education found it had an obligation to provide educational services.
The ruling found that children with intellectual disabilities had a right to an appropriate education.
"But 'appropriate' is the key word," said Mr Seamus Cowman, father of Natasha, a 17-year-old student at the centre. "What is appropriate for our children? They can do without education services but they can't do without healthcare."
A recent survey of the children's needs found that 91 per cent had no speech, 91 per cent had behavioural problems and 87 per cent used nappies. Almost 80 per cent were on prescribed medication while 52 per cent were in wheelchairs.
These findings clearly showed that nursing care was the primary need among the children, Mr Cowman said.
A shift to a curriculum-based service would mean that children would be at home for much longer periods, and parents would not be able to cope, he said.
Another parent, Ms Sinéad Boyd, said she would have to give up work if the situation was not resolved. Her eight-year-old son, Aidan, needed constant care and she would not be able to leave him in a creche, she said.
Mr Shay Feehily, secretary of the parents' group, urged the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to intervene in the dispute as it was happening in his constituency.
"We are not only speaking for ourselves, we are speaking for parents of children all over the country," he said.
A spokesman for the school's board of management said it accepted the diverse needs of the children and was trying to establish a partnership approach to meet these needs.
Every effort was being made to fill the nursing posts, the spokesman said, and there was no agenda to remove healthcare services.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said the Minister was aware that difficulties had arisen over the role of the teaching and healthcare staff, but it was a matter for local management to co-ordinate the education and healthcare requirements.
The national association, which acts as a support group for parents of people with intellectual disability, said it was "very sad" that the landmark O'Donoghue ruling was being interpreted in a way that was having a negative effect on children and parents.
Speaking for the association, Ms Deirdre Carroll said the ruling stated that education must be accompanied by the appropriate supports but that did not appear to be happening in St Vincent's.
A Department of Health spokesman pointed out that Mr Tim O'Malley, junior Minister with responsibility for mental health issues, was meeting parents on Thursday to discuss their concerns.
