Ministers face cold shoulder at Special Olympics

GOVERNMENT ministers face a frosty reception at this year's Special Olympics following cutbacks in promised funding for physical and sensory disability services.

Some activists are even suggesting that disability organisations stage protests and stunts before and during the games to highlight the problem and force the Government to act.

Nine organisations came together yesterday to call on the Government to fulfil its promise to provide €12 million for the sector. Only €5.9m has been allocated for the year leaving service providers with a deficit of €6.1m.

"In this European Year of People with Disabilities, promises made by this health minister and this government have not been honoured," said Frank Flannery, chairman of the Not For Profit Business Association (NFPBA), representing the nine organisations. "We do not accept that because the Department of Finance has demanded restrictions, those with physical and sensory disabilities, their carers and those who work with them should be made to suffer."

He said those with physical and sensory disabilities were the forgotten 40,000 people unseen and unheard. "If the Government is going into a whole series of public photo-calls and mutual backslapping over functions around the World Games, their commitment has to match public expressions. In terms of priorities, the amount of money we're talking about isn't huge. The Government jet issue seems to be just one issue where money seems to be available."

He said a government study showed that 929 additional posts were needed for current services. Ann Winslow, director of services with the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), said government promises had been reneged upon. "To say we're very angry is underestimating how we feel. We have very acute waiting lists for home support. People can't get assistance to get out of bed. What they get is tokenism; they can have an hour here or an hour there. Now we have to tighten our budget. It's not acceptable.

"We are not going to wait another four to five years. We're not going to wait another year. We've had enough of it." Shay Ryan of the IWA said Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Health Minister Micheál Martin will have their pictures taken at the Special Olympics and will then turn around and cut back on funding.

"We should organise dignified protests at the Special Olympics. We should be doing some sort of stunts. When it's done and dusted, when the politicians are going off with their mercedes or flying around on their expensive government jet, people have to pick up the pieces."

Mr Flannery said no decision had yet been made on whether any such action would be taken during or after the Special Olympics which he said was a positive event.

But he said that if rational argument didn't work they would have to consider what other steps to take.