Drumcar vacancy ‘could not be filled’
LOCAL TD Fergus O’Dowd says the recent reports of a diminishing of speech and language services in St Mary’s special school in Drumcar are due to a replacement for a maternity vacancy not being found.
As reported in the Drogheda Independent earlier this month, parents expressed concerns at lack of services for their profoundly disabled children.
However, in response to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy O’Dowd, the Chief Officer for Louth Meath HSE says they tried to fill the vacant position left by the speech and language therapist in 2016 when she took maternity leave but were unsuccessful.
Upon her subsequent resignation, the post was transferred from St John of Gods to the HSE Progressive Disabilities Team.
“They went on to tell me that there is currently another recruitment drive to fill the vacancy again,” added Deputy O’Dowd.
“I sent in the request to the Minister for Health following reports from parents that services such as speech and language and physiotherapy had diminished since the start of the year, and could any contractual changes be examined.”
He said he also learned that the current respite services offered by St John of Gods will transfer to a new service provider in a rural setting.
“I was told that the tender for the new four-bedroom house in Co Louth will be circulated in the coming weeks, with the service hopefully provided by the end of this year,’ he told the Drogheda Independent. “I was reminded that the new Bower House service opened in Balbriggan in April also serves users in Louth and Meath with three beds available.”