Parents of children with special needs must fight every day, in every county. But you’ll surely agree that in Monaghan, they have had to fight even harder than most.
That's what Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald had to say when highlighting the plight of the parents that have continued for a special school in Monaghan.
A war of words has erupted in the Dáil between Cavan-Monaghan TD Heather Humphreys and the leader of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald. Minister Heather Humphreys was taking leader questions in the absence of the Taoiseach who is currently in Washington, when the Sin Fein leader raised the issue.
Speaking in the Dail today, The Sinn Féin leader asked if and when Monaghan would get its own special school and how long would Monaghan parents have to lobby politicians by using their children's personal and private stories to get what they're entitled to.
Deputy Humphreys responded by saying that she was talking to a parent as recently as last night and explained that the various departments involved in providing a special school have procedures to follow before they could make a commitment and that is what is happening right now. Heather Humphreys acknowledged that Mary Lou McDonald and the leader of Aontú, Peadar Toibín, were in Monaghan to meet with parents ;last week.
Minister Heather Humphreys told Mary Lou McDonald in the Dail that "You should've told me you were coming up and I would've met you".
Speaking following the exchange, local Sinn Féin TD, Matt Cathy said: "It is very disappointing that the government is still hiding behind a review and has doubled-down on their failure to deliver a special school for Monaghan. "A special school is needed. If the Taoiseach met these families, he'd realise that."
