BY CJ MCGINLEY

A 10-year-old Letterkenny girl who has Spina Bifida may not be able to return to school in September because her personal assistant hours have been slashed due to cutbacks.

Nadine Harris from Meadowhill, has multiple disabilities and requires full time personal care at home and school. Her plight is such that her personal assistant at school had to spend a week training with her mother to provide the special attention she needs.

However, now due to government belt tightening measures Nadine's Special Needs Assistant hours at school have been slashed from 32 to 10 meaning she will only be able to attend school for two hours per day.

Speaking to the Donegal News her mother, Celine McGee said she would fight "tooth and nail' to have the decision reversed describing it as "absolutely ridiculous".

"We got this news in a letter just before the school broke up for the summer holidays. We will fight all the way to have this decision reversed. It has put us under severe stress and in limbo worrying what is going to happen," Celine said.

"Nadine will be unable to attend school in September if she can only attend for two hours. This is not some virus that is going to go away. I have already been to the Dáil and met with politicians to raise the plight we face and they cannot believe what is happening," she added.

Celine explained the letter cutting Nadine's Personal Assistant hours was issued to the school by a local S.E.N.O (Senior Educational Needs Officer) who works under the auspices of the Department of Educations Special Needs Unit.

"There was no consultation or discussion.

The hours were cut and we had no chance whatsoever to make our case. The crazy thing is that this is happening to us while at the same time the Department is still advertising for more Special Needs Assistants in the county. Why is it the government and its agencies pick on the most vulnerable in our society when making such cutbacks. Nadine is a lovely ten years old girl who deserves the best education that she can get," Celine said.

Nadine, who has Spina Bifida and Hydro Caphlaus, is one of many children around the county who have had their Personal Needs Assistant Hours cut but in her case the cut is so severe that it will prevent her from attending school.

A spokeswoman for Spina Bifida Ireland said the cutback was unbelievable for someone who needed such care.

"There has been cuts up and down the country but not as harsh as this case," a spokeswoman said.

Deputy Joe McHugh who has brought Nadine's case before the Dáil said yesterday (Thursday) that it was a disgrace that the first to be affected by government cutbacks were the most vulnerable in society, like Nadine. He is adamant that the NCSE cannot cut her hours in such a cruel fashion, without any form of recourse for the family.

"Nadine's educational future has been left in limbo, like many others in the county and we need to get to the bottom of the issue. How anyone can be of the opinion that this young girl can do without her Special needs assistant is beyond me. I want to know what criteria was used to make this decision and I want it reviewed by the director of the NCSE. If that fails, I will be encouraging Nadine's family and all other families in a similar situation to contact the ombudsman for children in order to get a fair hearing," he said.

"In the last few weeks, I have received over twenty complaints regarding resource hours for children with special needs. These children are suffering from Spina Bifida, ADHD, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome and dyslexia, yet they are being told that they are having to do without their SNAs and their resource hours. It seems that the NCSE, which is another government quango, want the education system to go backwards instead of forward," he added.

The plight of such children has been raised in recent weeks in the Inishowen area and local families have already met in Letterkenny to fight the cutbacks.

A meeting will take place in Josie's Bar on Monday night and everyone is invited to come along and show their support for the families.

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