Miles is top dog in Seanad — by a whisker
Miles, a 5-year-old golden labrador retriever, is charming all before him as he goes about his daily duties at the Seanad.
The canine is guide dog to Kevin Kelly, 24, a parliamentary assistant to Independent senator Mary Ann O’Brien. Kevin is the country’s first blind parliamentary assistant and Miles is the first guide dog to work at Leinster House.
“Miles is a big fan of the carpets but I don’t know what the cleaners in Leinster House think of him yet. He likes to roll about and he leaves balls of golden fluff behind him everywhere,” said Kevin.
“When I’m at my desk working, he sleeps in the corner. The staff in the other offices come in now and again to see him. He loves the attention.”
The Donegal man lost his sight to a rare genetic retinal disorder 10 years ago. But he has refused to let disability get in the way of his passion for politics and communi-cations.
A former Ógra Fianna Fáil local branch co-founder, he has a degree in journalism from DCU and is awaiting a master’s from DIT. He broadcasts on local radio and has worked at Newstalk.
The eldest of five from Clonmany, Kevin says his social and university life improved immeasurably in 2008 when he got Miles from the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Centre in Cork.
His faithful companion helps him get around Dublin without a stick and gives him increased confidence as he goes about his daily routine.
Kevin’s office aids include a laptop computer with screen-reading software and a program that lets him scan and edit documents.
“Mary Ann and I have a paperless office for obvious reasons. I scan everything and that’s a new concept in here because everything in Leinster House is on paper despite it all being emailed to us as well,” he adds.
“I’m fortunate to have had a lot of education and I’m able to fight my corner. I think there’s an onus on people like me to speak out on behalf of people with disabilities who aren’t as blessed and fortunate.”
The partnership has proved twice as nice for Ms O’Brien, a chocolatier and co-founder of the Jack and Jill Foundation. When she advertised for a parliamentary assistant in May, little did she suspect she would get two for the price of one.
“A lot of Kevin’s brilliance can be put down to his own assistant. Miles keeps us great company every day and makes certain that our office is without doubt the most popular in Leinster House except for the Taoiseach’s,” she said.
