'Too many empty promises' Kolbe parent's passionate plea

A parent of a severely disabled Laois boy attending Kolbe Special School, has made a passionate plea for the new school building to be reinstated as a priority by the Government.

Speaking to a packed public meeting in Portlaoise on Wednesday night, March 22, Niamh Ryan eventually broke down as she pleaded for a new building.

"I have twin boys who are about to turn 15. Liam is in Kolbe. He is one of the most medically complex children there. He has severe quadroplegia and epilepsy, he is tube fed, incontinent, non-verbal.

"Liam absolutely loves school. He lights up when he is going and through his communication device he loves telling us his news when he gets home.

"The staff work in such inappropriate difficult conditions. Many of the children have respiratory conditions but they are in the damp and cold. The lack of space is a huge problem. 

"Liam has a mobile hoist, a stander, a bed and a chair, as well as medical devices and equipment for learning. All are absolutely necessary, most are personal to Liam, they cannot be shared. That is why we need more space.

Below: the attendance at the public meeting for Kolbe Special School on March 22. Photo: Leinster Express

"The loss of the PE hall is a big problem. They need that outlet for energy, not just for physical exercise but for fun. Some children actually learn to walk at Kolbe. This really affects their ability to reach their full potential.  When we had a hall we had Christmas parties, a winter wonderland, summer parties, great opportunities for otherwise isolated families to meet and celebrate their children. 

"It's difficult to manoeuvre around equipment along the corridors to the nurses station. That is a huge concern if a child is having a seizure or breathing difficulties and needs treatment. 

"It is very physically demanding to hoist and change them, remember the students are there up to the age of 18, to adult size. 

"The school carpark is a hazard too. At going home time there are six buses and two wheelchair taxies parked. It's very difficult and dangerous, we have to park a distance away and that is hard for children in wheelchairs in bad weather.

"Kolbe is not a respite centre, it's a school. They are entitled to an education. The environment must be conducive to learning. Staff should be able to spend most of their time teaching, not plugging holes in windows.

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"When Liam's brother was in 3rd class he moved to a fabulous new school and now a secondary school. He often asks why Liam and his friends don't have a proper school too. If children can see how children with disabilities are being treated, why can't our government?

"We have waited too long. Too many empty promises, but this time we're going the whole way," parent Niamh Ryan said.

A new school was promised for Kolbe by 2024, with preparatory work recently begun on the site, and planning secured a year ago. It was put on hold by the Government last week among over 50 other new school buildings, pending a budget review.

The school has vowed to hold a public march if the decision is not reversed within a fortnight.