A campaign to secure a nursing post at Little Angels Special School in Letterkenny has reached a breakthrough.
A nurse will be appointed to the school on a short term basis as the HSE awaits further confirmation on the national provision of nurses in special schools.
Measures are being put in place for the recruitment of the post.
Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh has welcomed the news and said he hopes the appointment is the beginning of a permanent solution to an important issue.
The post allocation comes after a group of Letterkenny students led a campaign in 2019 to highlight the need for a nurse at Little Angels to care for children with complex medical needs. A petition was started by a young social innovator group from the Loreto Secondary School, who were inspired by Letterkenny pupil Conall Shields to call for change for the benefit of all children at the school.
Cllr. Jimmy Kavanagh shared details of a letter from the HSE today which confirms that CHO1 Social Care will appoint a nurse to Little Angels School “as an interim solution” to provide support for children with complex medical needs.
Frank Morrison, Head of Social Care, said the HSE is awaiting the outcome of discussions at a national level between the HSE and the Department of Education & Skills regarding the provision of nursing support to children with complex needs in school settings.
Donegal TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has welcomed the confirmation and said: “I commend the families who raised this important issue and stood up for the education rights of their children.
“Little Angels School is a fantastic support to so many families in Donegal but it was clear that a partnership between the HSE and the education authorities was required to provide the necessary nursing support to these children and I am pleased at this breakthrough.
“I also raised this issue with the Minister for Health and I trust that this interim solution will become a permanent solution once these negotiations have concluded”.