I was under the impression that the Adjournment Debate would be at 8.30 p.m. and not at 12 o'clock. I am sorry for bringing in the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach, at this late hour. Nevertheless this is a very important matter which I am sure she will realise I had to raise on the Adjournment.
I appeal tonight on behalf of the teachers, parents and pupils of the Nano Nagle school for the handicapped, Listowel. It is a special school for moderately mentally handicapped people, catering for 61 children within a 30 miles radius of Listowel. It services parishes such as Glin, Tarbert, Abbeyfeale, Ballybunion, Brosna, Castleisland, Tralee, Ballylongford and Listowel. The pupils range in age from four to 18 years. Some have physical, auditory, visual and emotional problems as well as being mentally handicapped. Recently it began to cater for severely handicapped children who, ideally, need individual attention.
The child care assistant has worked in the school for the past 13 years and has been granted a career break next year from September 1994 to 1995. She is the only child care assistant paid by the Department of Education and will not be replaced while on career break, which affects both staff and pupils.
Her daily routine includes taking children to and from school buses, accompanying them to classrooms and toileting them which is vital because seven of these children are in nappies. She plays an essential role in day to day classroom activities, thus facilitating teachers to do group work. She is involved in social training, teaching, washing, dressing, toileting and eating skills. She helps the teachers in carrying out programmes with the weaker children. In addition, she assists two children confined to wheelchairs and transports children to shops, church and on school outings. In general, she is indispensable to this very successful school. She has assisted teachers in all areas of work during the past 13 years.
The Minister may or may not be aware that the school is one of the most successful for the moderately handicapped in the country. It is doing a very good job and is embarking on a successful programme of integration with the primary school adjoining it. This began as a pilot scheme a few years ago when the convent primary school, Listowel, and the Nano Nagle school were put on the same site. This encouraged and facilitated the type of integration now taking place in both schools and they could be a model for the rest of the country.
This child care assistant was granted permission to take a career break. I understand that unless an exception is made she will not be replaced. If so, this will have major consequences for the work programme and the school curriculum. I would be grateful if the Minister could ensure that the Nano Nagle school has a child care assistant next September.
I thank the Minister for being present. I am sure she could have passed on the responsibility to one of her colleagues.
