(Ireland) Cork: Special school "urgently" needs therapists; 'stress level too much to manage'
- 38 minutes ago
- 2 min read
June 12, 2026, Irish Examiner: Children at special school in Cork need 'full-time therapists urgently'
Last September, a number of parents of children at Carrigaline Community Special School came forward publicly with concerns they had spent the best part of two years attempting to raise privately with the relevant authorities.
Opened in the Taoiseach’s constituency in 2021, the school is for students between the age of four to 18 who have a diagnosis of autism and an intellectual disability.
Its students have a mix of varied and complex needs.
A recognised part of their dual diagnosis is dysregulation.
According to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), dysregulation occurs when “a student’s stress level becomes too much to manage”.
The group of parents at the school were concerned about a lack of full-time, in-school therapies for their children, including behavioural therapies, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy. . . .
These issues combined were resulting in high levels of dysregulation and anxiety amongst the school’s students, resulting in some becoming distressed or “lashing out”.
Rather than addressing the core issues behind these behaviours, parents felt the approach instead was punitive, resulting in an “out of control” suspension rate.
In just three years, Carrigaline Community Special School had issued 17 official suspensions out of a maximum student body of just 48. . . .
“The therapists are still a huge issue, because that would support staff as well as students,” Ms O’Grady said.
“We need full-time therapists working directly with the children. Given the amount of disruption and change that our children have had to endure, we need those full-time therapists urgently.” . . .
"Our children need those supports, it's so badly needed, both behavioural and full multi-disciplinary supports, including psychology, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, at minimum to help our children progress in their daily living skills, their education, holistically, in order to develop and progress and to reach their full potential."
In May, parents at Belmayne Community Special School, a special school for children with complex needs, established by an ETB in North Dublin last year, called on several ministers to address “serious failures” that they say placed their children in unsafe circumstances.
“It has been alarming and worrying to learn that Belmayne and Carrigaline have experienced eerily similar issues,” the parent said. . . .
In April, parents were advised that special education minister Michael Moynihan had established a dedicated working group, chaired by the department, to meet fortnightly to consider any issues as they arise for the school.
Parents were also advised that the department was working on establishing a staff supply panel for special schools in Cork.
A spokesperson for the department said as the NCSE's new Education Therapy Service expands, Carrigaline Community Special School "will be incorporated into the rollout of in-school therapy provision".
The department it also confirmed the school has now been assigned to its School Improvement Group.
The work of the group is to provide "a co-ordinated approach to the department’s engagement with schools where serious weaknesses are identified impacting on the teaching and learning in the schools," the spokesperson said. . . .
