Council apologises over handling of autism class controversy at Enfield hub

Meath County Council has apologised to the families affected by issues around the holding of classes for children with autism in the Enfield Economic Hub and Library building and said it is working with the provider to find a resolution that will see the classes continue in the building.

There was an angry backlash last week when news emerged that Colleen Mannion of All Abilities Learning, who gives one-on-one sessions to children with autism in Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), had been told her agreement to rent a small office in the economic hub section of the building twice a week would not be renewed after the end of this month following noise complaints.

A meeting took place earlier today between council officials, Ms Mannion and one of the families affected to try to find a resolution and Meath County Council has put forward a number of proposals including one where the meeting room in the library section of the building could be used for the sessions.

The controversy was raised by Cllr Ronan Moore at this afternoon's meeting of Trim Municipal District Council, who said "mistakes had been made" in the handling of the situation but was also keen to stress how Meath County Council does a lot of work in the area of inclusion in its libraries.

Director of Services, Des Foley, said what had happened was "very regrettable" and outlined that he had been part of a meeting that took place earlier that day with the provider and one of the families and they hoped to have the situation resolved by early next week.

"First and foremost we issued them with an apology for what has happened. It certainly wasn't any intention of ours to cause distress to the families or the children who have been using the hub and that apology was welcomed.

"We had a good discussion around the activity and our intent was then to come up with a solution and we have come up with a number of propositions all involving it being reinstated back in the building," Mr Foley told councillors.

"One is to make use of a room that is available in the library section of the building itself where there is a sensory table available. It is a larger room and we think it would be more suitable than the smaller space that was being used in the hub.

"The provider has welcomed this and is going to look at that over the coming days and if that room isn't suitable, it will be a case of reverting back to the room that was being used but it is our intention that the service would continue as it had been over the last number of months in the building and we would hope to have this resolved by early next week.

"We do apologise for what has happened in the past week and the distress that it did cause. It certainly wasn't our intention," he said adding that they are committed to inclusivity and to integrating all their customers.

The meeting was described as "very productive meeting" by Ms Mannion this evening.

"An apology was issued to the families involved and we have discussed several possible scenarios to have this resolved," she said.

"We are hoping to resume our sessions in the Enfield Library building this coming week. We thank the Meath County Council for allowing us to be heard, seen and valued. We felt them all. A positive outcome for all."

Earlier this afternoon, Meath County Council also issued a statement saying it has "continued to actively engage with different groups over the past week to resolve the recent situation that developed at the Enfield Economic Hub".

"This morning, Meath County Council held a meeting with representatives from All Ability Learning and a family affected by the current situation. The discussion focused on addressing the issue, and a proposal was made to continue the activities at the Enfield library building. It is expected that the matter will be resolved early next week.

"The Council appreciates the communications it received concerning this matter and wishes to assure all parties that our actions are consistently guided by good intentions and integrity, with the best interests of all parties involved.

"Meath County Council prides itself on its commitment to inclusivity in the delivery of all its services, ensuring that every individual feels valued and heard. This ongoing commitment to our customers with additional needs is especially evident in the range of services and resources provided within our Library Service.

"Our core mission is to put all our customers first. Recognising the diverse needs of our community, we will continue to create an environment where everyone has equal access to our services."