08 July 2010

Dail Mail

Byline: Leah McDonald

THOUSANDS of protesters, including some of the most vulnerable in society, took to the streets yesterday to deliver a poignant message to the Government: 'Don't take our away our lifeline.' In a powerful show of solidarity, hundreds of families - including those with members suffering from severe intellectual and physical disabilities - came together to demonstrate against 'immoral' cutbacks to disability and respite care services.

Up to 1,800 protesters, many of whom were wheelchair-bound, made their way from the Garden of Remembrance on Dublin's Parnell Street to the gates of Leinster House to demand an end to cutbacks to respite services and the closure of sheltered homes across the country.

Elsewhere, hundreds more took part in marches in Galway and Castlebar, Co. Mayo to protest at the cuts.

Among the marchers were hundreds of children and elderly with disabilities, their support staff and full-time carers, who spoke of their fear and anger that they will be unable to cope if further cutbacks are imposed by the HSE.

Outside the Dail, the visibly irate and vocal crowd was addressed by Frieda Finlay, chairman of Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with intellectually disability, who organised yesterday's march in the capital.

Inclusion Ireland fears that respite care could be gone within a matter of months and community homes could be forced to close if the HSE's round of cuts is implemented.

It also argued that respite care of just one night per week or one weekend a month provided a 'safety valve' for carers and family members who are on duty 24 hours a day.

Miss Finlay called on Mary Harney and the Taoiseach to intervene in the dispute over cuts to disability services and to ensure both the HSE and disability service providers come together to find a solution without delay. She told the protesters: 'People with intellectual disabilities are frightened and worried because they do not know what is going to happen to them. Some are even losing their homes.

'It is outrageous it has come to this and now we have got to make this Government listen to us.' Miss Finlay said some respite care services had been cut by 40 per cent, while large facilities housing the elderly with disabilities had also been shut down. Elsewhere, around 1,000 marched on health authority offices in Galway to protest against the decision by HSE West to impose further cuts of 2million on the Brothers of Charity, who provide essential voluntary services to people with disabilities.

The organisation argues it is facing cuts of 4million this year, on top of 1.8million sought last year.

Anne Geraghty, Brothers of Charity's acting director, said her board had been informed by HSE West last Friday that it had a projected shortfall of 1 . million and would seek 4million from voluntary agencies.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore emerged from the Dail to assure protesters they would be calling on the Government to ensure that frontline services are protected.

During a heated leaders' questions debate earlier in the day, Mr Kenny accused Brian Cowen of failing to understand the plight of people dependent on disability services. Mr Kenny said: 'You say that no such decision has been made. Why are thousands of people marching to this house today? Who speaks for these? You certainly don't.' Amid loud taunts and heckling from the opposition, the Taoiseach hit back, saying: 'I have indicated to the ministers and to those who are providing those services there is a need for them to change whatever arrangements they have.

'It is not acceptable to me or this Government that respite services will be cut. It will not happen as far as I am concerned.'

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