The families of children with special needs in Mongahan who have been campaigning for more services and facilities have secured meetings with both the Tánaiste and Taoiseach. To date, their campaign for a special school, a day centre and a respite home together with additional therapists and early intervention for children with additional needs in County Monaghan has included lobbying local politicians,public forums, peaceful protests and a petition which has been signed by more than 2,000 local people. So far, the group has received commitments from the Minister for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte, that Monaghan will get a temporary respite centre, which, should be available from October. Management at the HSE has also updated SNAP on their efforts to secure a day centre building and several options are on the table regarding a site for a special school.
But as another academic year comes to a close and children with additional needs have nowhere to go in the next school year, SNAP says progress is too slow. They also say if the political will was there more could be done, more quickly. Now, local politicians have stepped up with Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher and TD Niamh Smyth securing a meeting between SNAP and Tánaiste Micheál Martin in the Dáil next Wednesday. Yesterday, Monaghan TD, Matt Carthy, used a Sinn Féin colleague's time in the Dáil to press the Taoiseach for a meeting, which, Simon Harris, who has a family member with special needs, agreed to:
Yesterday in the Dáil, Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD had the opportunity to ask the Taoiseach directly when he said: "A request has been made by families of children with special needs, which, you're in the county [on Wednesday, 19th June] so, my question is: will you give a half an hour to meet with these families so that you can hear directly oif the impact government failures are having in their lives?" To which the Taoiseach replied: "I am happy to arrange to meet them with yourself and Oireachtas colleagues from Cavan-Monaghan because I am aware of this issue you have raised and perhaps I will ask the relevant ministers to attend as well. We do want to make more progress on this. We have now a cabinet committee on disability that I'm chairing and I'd be very happy to directly hear from those families you wish me to meet in the coming days."
