‘Cut politicians’ perks to provide proper services’

AN anxious mother believes if politicians reduced some of their “lavish perks”, her autistic teenage son would not have been denied a place at a specialist centre.

Catherine Dineen made the comments after learning that her 18-year-old son, Joseph, cannot get a place at Greenville House, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, because of cutbacks.

Joseph had spent the last four years at the Brothers of Charity-run St Mary’s special school in Rochestown, Co Cork.

“He progressed very well there because he got a huge amount of support. But, according to Department of Education rules, anybody like Joseph who is over 18 and not sitting their Leaving Cert has to leave school and go into a day-service centre,” Catherine said.

Last year, realising this was coming up, Catherine and her husband, Denis, applied to get Joseph into the day-care centre at Carrigtwohill which is run by the Cork Association for Autism.

Their hopes were dashed when she received a letter from Joe McDonald, director of services at Greenville House.

He told them that, due to an insufficient level of day-caring funding this year, he was unable to offer Joseph a place.

Mr McDonald said he had raised Joseph’s case with the HSE and they were aware of the situation.

He added that, should the necessary funding be made available, his organisation may be able to help Joseph.

“Members of the Oireachtas can spend a fortune on perks, such as hiring limousines, and yet they can’t find the money to look after my son. It would only cost between €25,000 and €30,000 a year and they won’t give it. I know we aren’t the only people around who are suffering,” Catherine said.

Catherine, who is a nurse, said she would now have to stay at home and care for her son full-time.

“Mary Harney, Mary Coughlan and Mary Hanafin are constantly telling us that we will have to take some pain because of the state of the economy. My son was born suffering and still is,” she said.

Mr McDonald told the Irish Examiner that the HSE had been forced to cut its funding.

He said the HSE (South) can’t give money it hasn’t got to voluntary organisations providing day care.

A HSE spokesman said that within Cork and Kerry a total of 154 school leavers had been identified who required day-care services

“To effectively manage this funding in best meeting the needs of those in day places, meetings were held between the HSE and service providers in Cork and Kerry. During this process, it was established that there are 78 individuals (primarily for rehabilitative training) who require no additional funding and 76 individuals, many of whom have complex needs and require high supports, who require additional funding.

“While the Cork Association for Autism centre cannot currently offer a day placement, the Brothers of Charity have advised the HSE that a day vacancy currently exists in their Caritas Training Centre,” the spokesman said.