Parents of some children affected by Dublin stabbing criticise slowness of State support

Parents of a number of children affected by the horrific knife attack in Dublin last Thursday outside a primary school have expressed serious disquiet at the lack of support from the State in the days after the incident.

Three young children and a care assistant were hospitalised after a lone assailant with a knife attacked a group of children aged between five and six as they left Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square at lunchtime on November 23rd.

Many other children from the junior and senior infant classes witnessed the attack.

Parents from the school have contacted The Irish Times to express their disappointment at the absence of any contact from psychologists, counsellors, support services or politicians between the time of the attack on Thursday and Monday morning.

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The parents of a young child impacted by the event said that principal Pól Hansard, teachers and the school’s parents council, in addition to the staff of the creche attended by young children, worked tirelessly over the weekend to support parents and children, share any advice they had and to try to put services in place.

“They were all absolutely amazing and it showed what a wonderful school and community we have,” said one parent.

[ ‘It shatters that sense of safety’: Psychological services to support pupils at school close to Dublin attack ]

[ Dublin stabbing: how the chaos unfolded on Parnell Square ]

However, other than gardaí investigating the attack, there was no direct contact whatsoever with parents, or affected children, from any State agencies or departments until Monday.

The parents who spoke to The Irish Times have done so anonymously in order to protect their children.

One of the parents said that those affected had no choice but to do “DIY psychology” over the course of the weekend, as they tried to reassure children traumatised by what they had seen.

The first intervention by the State, said the parents, occurred on Monday morning when between 150 to 200 parents of children in all classes in the school crowded into a room to meet three psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

However, the psychologists faced an impossible situation, according to the parents. “There were more than 150 people crowded into a tiny room and there was a range of needs and it was hard to hear people talk.

“There were parents of the junior children who had witnessed the attack but also parents of older children who did not see what happened but ended up getting locked in the school.”

The parent added: “There was a lot of anger at the meeting. It was misdirected at the psychologists because they were the first people sent and had to deal with more general issues (that did not come within their competence) including concerns over safety over many years.”

The other parent said: “There was bad energy in the room because people were just very angry. Parents were going through very different things. There were the parents of the children who weren’t affected and then a smaller group of parents whose children were there but were not harmed physically and then the parents whose children were injured. None [of the latter two groups] got any support over the weekend.”

[ What do we know about the suspect in the Parnell Square attack? ]

[ Varadkar and McEntee meet some of those who intervened in Parnell Square attack ]

Separately, the creche attended by younger children in the school organised a drop-in for parents on Monday morning where they could speak one-to-one for half an hour with psychologists from NEPS. Parents said they found that service very useful.

Later on Monday, a psychological team was available at the Health Service Executive Primary Care Centre in Summerhill.

However, families found themselves having to deal with the situation over the course of the weekend, unsure of what to say to their children.

None of those services were supplied between Thursday and Monday. “When my child asked questions after the attack,” said the parent, “I was unsure of if I was answering these questions correctly. I did not know whether I should be saying more or should I be saying less. It was me just winging it and doing my best.”

Moreover, families at the meeting on Monday morning said no member of Government, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar or Tánaiste Micheál Martin, or any local TD, including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, had reached out to parents since Thursday to hear their concerns about the circumstance of the attack and their fears over security and other issues following the event.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said that it was providing direct support to the childcare facility and to the school community through two HSE psychologists.

Drop-in psychology support clinics were also being provided for the wider community.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it had provided a range of supports “in line with best practice and HSE’s guidance on responding to psychosocial and mental health needs” during crises.

Psychologists attended the school on Friday and met school staff and staff at the creche continuously over the weekend, the statement said, and they also attended the creche on Monday and the meeting in the nearby hotel on the same day to offer advice. Parents and children affected could also access HSE care, or contact the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s parents’ or children and young people’s lines for advice.