The sod has been turned on a new €7m centre for children with disabilities on the outskirts of Cork city, writes Eoin English.

Enable Ireland has now launched a massive fundraising campaign to fund the construction of the facility in Curraheen which will replace its ageing Lavanagh Centre in Ballintemple.

“We have been delivering services in Cork since 1954,” Enable Ireland CEO Fionnuala O’Donovan said.

“Over that time, the number of children needing services has increased significantly.

“Today, our highly skilled staff work with over 640 children and their families and now we need a new premises within which to continue to provide our vital services.

“Our children deserve the best. We’ve set ourselves a challenging task to raise €7.2m.

“We now ask the people of Cork to join us in making this centre a reality.”

Housing Minister Simon Coveney turned the sod on the project this morning.

The new centre, to be built on a seven acre site of the former ESB social club, will provide therapy and support services to children with disabilities and their families.

Once fully operational, the new centre will house a hydrotherapy pool, therapy and sensory room, and a children’s respite house, where children with disabilities can develop their independence skills while giving their families a much-needed break.

A range of specialist services will also be delivered from the centre, including feeding, assistive technology, spasticity and tone management, an upper limb assessment clinic, Cork/Kerry orthopaedic clinic, hip and spinal surveillance, casting and GAIT analysis.