Enable Ireland hydrotherapy pool closed (again)...

The closure, once again, of Enable Ireland’s hydrotherapy pool to some children with special needs in Cavan has been described as a “massive loss” for those who used it in the area.

Located at the Enable Ireland building in Rathcorrick, the pool closed for open swim sessions one year ago, while physiotherapy-led aquatic therapy appointments ceased in November of last year. An Enable Ireland spokesperson has said both services stopped due to a “shortage of suitably trained staff”.

For Judith Nicholson, she could notice a “pattern of chatter” from her son Ezra, who has autism and sensory processing disorder, after his weekly sessions in the pool.

This chat would last for about three to four days after his time in the pool, when it would “die off” until his next visit. The family also noticed that Ezra’s self-stimulatory behaviour, which he uses to regulate his nervous system, was “disappearing”.

This chatter stopped when Ezra used the pool for the last time in April, 2025. He has not had access to the pool since. For children like Ezra it is greatly missed, as it was a “very important” part of his routine. Judith said her son is now self-stimulating again.

“It’s a sad loss,” Judith told the Celt.

“For Ezra we were able to identify a clear link between his speech and language development [when using the pool].

“It felt more like play than therapy, and when you’re engaging with children that is very important.”

She wonders when swim sessions will be available for her son again.

“It’s [the pool] just sitting idle, going to waste.”

“When will we get it?” she asked.

It became part of the six year old’s weekly routine to visit the pool on a Wednesday.

“Breaking his routine was obviously a handling in itself because you’re explaining to a child who doesn’t comprehend why he can’t go swimming.”

“It’s something that Ezra would ask for two to three times per week.”

Heated to temperatures of 33/34°C, two children used the pool at one time during the sessions, providing a quiet and relaxing environment. Such was the popularity of the pool that, when the booking link became live, slots would fill up within half an hour.

“You could just see him come to life in the pool.”

For his parents, this “bonding experience” was “invaluable” and hearing her son speak was “so fulfilling” for Judith.

Private lessons

Meanwhile, the Celt understands the pool is now being used for private swimming lessons, and Judith questioned why it can’t be used for both purposes.

“I am happy to see these two work side by side but not at the cost of our children missing out when the facility is supposed to be for them.

“I do believe that swimming is a skill that every human being should have. But for children who are neurodiverse and have sensory issues, getting into a normal pool, it just doesn’t happen because they can’t tolerate it.”

At the age of 16 months, Ezra, who had been meeting all his development targets, lost his words “literally overnight”.

“Like every other parent we have been waiting on speech and language [therapies]. He turned six on Monday [last] and still to this day we are waiting on speech and language.”

Ezra was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and four months, and the family have not received an SLT session since. The family have attended seminars where parents take part in group information sessions.

“I fully believe as a parent it is our job to do this but we are only the parents, we are not professionals. We can only use the tools if we are given them.

“Questions have to be asked, why are we in Cavan at such a lack of services for our children? The kids in Cavan deserve so much more. Parents are always voicing that we need more, but where is the listening?”

Enable Ireland is a charitable organisation that provides free therapeutic, educational, and support services to over 13,000 children and adults with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. Over 88% of its funding comes directly from the Health Service Executive (HSE) with which it has formal service arrangements to deliver a number of services and therapies.

“It’s [the pool] a massive loss to my family at least, and speaking to other parents it is a huge huge loss.”

The issue was raised recently in the Seanad by Senator Pauline Tully (SF), when Minister of State at the Department of Disability Emer Higgins said she would seek an update from the HSE on the matter.

An Enable Ireland spokesperson said at present, a reopening date for the pool “has not been confirmed”. They said the decision was made to “pause” the provision of open swim sessions at the pool in July last year, due to a “shortage of suitably trained staff”.

Meanwhile, physiotherapy-led aquatic therapy appointments continued in the hydrotherapy pool until November 2025, when staff shortages meant this intervention “could no longer be provided”.

“Since then, Enable Ireland has run ongoing recruitment campaigns to fill these vacancies,” they said.

“Throughout this time, Enable Ireland has worked with another organisation to provide six-week blocks of swimming lessons for families who attend Enable Ireland services,” they added.

The spokesperson said an opening date will be “dependent on successfully filling the vacancies”, one of which has been filled.

The pool, which cost in the region of €440,000 to build and was partly funded by donations, previously closed just six months after opening in 2018. In a statement to this newspaper at the time, a part-time lifeguard was hired but left the role after six months. The pool had reopened since but has now closed again for open swim sessions and physiotherapy-led aquatic therapy appointments.

Speaking on the use of the pool by private providers, the spokesperson said: “To generate the necessary income to maintain the pool and cover the running costs, the hydrotherapy pool is rented to private providers outside of service operating hours.”