Major breakthrough for the School for the Deaf, Cabra

• HSE commits to retaining and protecting the existing speech and language therapy service.

Following a meeting today between Minister Rabbitte, HSE Dublin North City and County, the principal and parents of the School for the Deaf, Cabra and Senator Marie Sherlock; Senator Sherlock expressed her delight and relief at the major break-though for the school at the meeting.

At the meeting, the HSE committed to protecting and retaining the existing speech and language therapy service on-site and within the school and that it would be there to support the needs of all 140 pupils in the school.

Senator Sherlock said:

“This is wonderful news for the school and a great boost for anxious parents. An important feature of the meeting today was that there is strong support for the aims of the HSE’s Progressing Disability services strategy. However the Minister made very clear that for special schools where there is a well functioning system of therapeutic support for children that these specialist supports need to be retained on site. The breakthrough came when the HSE confirmed that this was also their position specifically with regard to the School for the Deaf, Cabra.

“Since the HSE first made their announcement about withdrawing the SLT service over seven weeks ago, the parents, principal and staff have made an enormous effort to communicate the vital importance of the specialist SLT on site service within the school. We‘ve received enormous public support and collected 3345 signatures in an open letter to the HSE and Government.”

Senator Sherlock continued “I want to particular tribute to Minister Anne Rabbitte who has shown great leadership in her role as Minister for Disabilities on this issue. She responded to my call on this issue in the Seanad in early March and she has been instrumental in ensuring the specialist therapy is to be retained on-site.”