Mobility & Learning Opportunities for St Joseph’s Special School

The students and teachers at St Joesph’s Special School in Galway City were treated to a nice surprise recently, when Minister of State at The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton dropped in to deliver a special mobility trike, where students now have access to cycling within this school.

The wonderful Class Teacher Yvonne applied to Variety Ireland for a special mobility trike for students, as part of our Recycle Mobility Programme, which is supported by Ministers Hildegarde Naughton and Minister Norma Foley from The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, Minister Sean Canney and Minister Darragh O’Brien from The Department of Transport and the HSE.

Thanks to the support of Minister Naughton and her government colleagues and the HSE, children from St Joseph’s Special School can now enjoy safe cycling within the confines of the school and cycle with their fellow pupils. While unveiling this special mobility trike, Minister Naughton said “I’m so proud to be here in my home county today, delivering this wonderful trike to the lovely students and teachers at St Joseph’s Special School. Both myself and my government colleagues as well as the HSE, fully realise and understand the opportunities trikes like these provide children with additional needs. It allows students to have fun outside of the classroom which supports inclusion and equal access to cycling. As well as this, it also benefits the mental and physical well-being of the user. Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme, which is supported by both my own department, The Department of Transport and the HSE, is an important part of the government’s National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 which is already delivering for thousands of people with additional needs across Ireland.”

Minister Naughton was also on hand to present iPads on behalf of Variety Ireland’s “Heart of Learning Programme.” These iPads support SNAs in schools across Ireland where pupils require additional learning supports.

It was great to see all the happy faces on the students and pupils at St Joseph’s Special School who now have their very own special Mobility Trike and iPads. On behalf of Variety Ireland, Minister Naughton and her government colleagues along with the HSE, we wish you all many happy years of happy exercise and learning both inside and outside of the classroom!