A group of parents and carers of children with special needs are continuing their fight to get dedicated respite centres and a special needs school for Monaghan. Earlier this week, the Special Needs Active Parents or SNAP group held a private meeting, for which they invited all local TDs to attend.
Previously, SNAP held a public meeting during which parents told their personal stories while pleading for local politicians, the HSE and government to fund and build a dedicated respite centre for children, a separate full-time one for adults, and a special needs school like the Holy Family facility in Cavan in County Monaghan.
Monaghan and Leitrim remain the only two counties in Ireland without respite care and a school. Matt Carthy raised the plight of Monaghan parents in the Dáil recently with Minister of State at the Department of Education, Josepha Madigan. "Minister I have to tell you the stories we heard that evening were harrowing," Deputy Carthy said, "Parent after parent, mostly mothers it has to be said, told of their unrelenting battles to get the services their children need.
"There was one young mother, Grainne McElvanney," Deputy Carthy continued, "and she described in a very detailed and passionate address and her words, almost exactly were: parents of children with disabilities in County Monaghan are forced to fight every single day."
Minister Josepha Madigan responded to Matt Carthy by saying that a special school is being considered for Monaghan: "I know that a special school is something that's being considered and I can say that to you today, by the National Council for Special Education in relation to a special school being considered for north Monaghan in terms of autism and complex needs."
