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Autism row still raging
by Peter Goulding

The row over the unopened autism unit in Castleknock Educate Together National School shows no signs of abating with the school finding itself at the centre of a political storm that simply will not go away. Gayle Murphy with her son Luca

The Minister for Education, the Board of Educate Together, the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and even the Taoiseach himself have all become embroiled in the controversy which erupted when Joan Burton raised the matter in the Dáil during the recent autism debate.

“The fact that the autism unit in Castleknock Educate Together is lying locked and idle a year and a half after it was built is down to Government inaction,” said Deputy Burton who has repeatedly asked questions in the Dáil on the subject. “The school and its board of management are ready to offer a very good service for parents opting to go to the school provided they get the support of the HSE, and particularly, the services of Beechpark. So far this has not been forthcoming despite many attempts to have the parties engage and sort out the issue. It appears that disputes between the Department of Education and the HSE over financial contributions to resourcing and staffing the centre are at the heart of the failure to open this facility.”

On RTE, following criticism of the Department of Education by Gayle Murphy of Carpenterstown, whose six year old autistic son Luca has not yet commenced education because of the lack of movement on the unit, Minister Mary Hanafin blamed the school for the situation, saying that, in her view, the school should open the unit without delay while the work goes on with the HSE to organise the therapy provision.

John Carr of the INTO responded immediately to the criticism of the school. “The fact of the matter is that Government has not provided the required supports,” he said. “The school highlighted this, not to apportion blame, but to beg for resources for children with autism. If the Minister wants to blame anyone she should blame her cabinet colleagues, whose broken promises have failed children.

“Demanding that a school provide specialist services without the required supports is like asking an airport to operate without air traffic controllers or fire crews,” he said.

Meanwhile the Taoiseach joined in the debate. “The school was supplied with a new high quality school building, including a purpose built autism unit,” he said. “The teachers and special needs assistants have been sanctioned for the special school. I understand the school has taken the view that until it receives funding from the HSE for the therapies, it will not open. The view is that the school should open the unit without delay. However, the board of management is entitled to take the position it has taken,” he added.

Bizarrely, a report in the Daily Mail the following day stated that Mr. Ahern had said that “political in- fighting between the HSE and the Department of Education is to blame for the fact that a state of the art autism unit remains closed.”

The IPPN also leapt to the defence of the school. “The Minister for Education and Science is applying unfair pressure on the principal and board of management of Castleknock Educate Together Primary School to open its special unit for children with autism when essential services are not in place,” it said. “Autism is a complex and challenging condition which, in addition to teaching, requires a range of essential therapies, resources and supports. The principal and board of Castleknock Educate Together have acted responsibly by insisting that the special unit for autism in their school be professionally resourced prior to the enrolment of children.

“Pressurising schools to open autism units prematurely is sending out a message that children with autism can make do with less than a full service. The principal of Castleknock Educate Together is doing these children a great service by insisting that they get all the supports they need to maximise their educational potential,” it said.

In a statement issued by Educate Together, the organisation said, “asking a school to open a unit without services is tantamount to demanding the opening of a hospital ward without doctors. It is reckless, irresponsible and completely unacceptable.

“The school itself said that it has strong professional advice against opening the unit without the expertise of occupational, speech and behavioural therapy specialists provided by the HSE.

“It is disappointing that the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, has publicly called for this unit to open without vital services being available. Such a call implies that the board of the school is obstructing the project and displays an attitude that seems primarily concerned with deflecting criticism of the government.

“It also implies that children with autism do not really require specialist health services. The appropriate response would have been for the Minister to intervene with her colleague the Minister for Health so that the services required are provided as soon as possible and to work with the school to ensure the unit opens without controversy or public comment.

“The hectoring approach aimed at pressurising the school to act irresponsibly is not helpful,” said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile Gayle Murphy, who has done so much to highlight the issue, admits that despite the publicity, nothing has actually changed on the ground. “I’ve tried to ring Mary Harney’s office but I keep getting fobbed off,” she said defiantly. “If I can’t get any satisfaction there, I’ll just get onto the Taoiseach instead. This issue isn’t simply going to go away and I’m not going away either!

What else can I do?”

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