Hundreds of teens ‘in limbo’ over failure to confirm support cuts

Hundreds of teens with an intellectual disability at risk of being cut off from State support have yet to receive confirmation of the fate that awaits them.

Despite a long-standing deadline of Jul 10 for officials to confirm in writing who will continue to be helped, Inclusion Ireland has warned that the vast majority of the 660 people affected were still “waiting in limbo”.

The issue has been caused by the axing of a €10m scheme known as the demographic fund, which has previously helped young adults with an intellectual disability when they leave full-time education.

The fund would normally begin when these teenagers turn 18 and leave second-level education, as occurred for the 660 young adults still waiting on news of what will happen to them.

The State has no obligation to provide an education after the age of 18, meaning they move from being supported through the Department of Education to the health services.

However, due to the country’s financial problems, Kathleen Lynch, the disabilities minister, has said 153 of these people will not receive this care.

Instead, those who are not chosen to receive the support will be forced to go on waiting lists for services to help further their education, training, and specialist day services placements — all of which would have previously begun in September.

However, while confirmation was promised by Jul 10 of what fate awaits each of the 660 people affected, Inclusion Ireland warned that the vast majority were still waiting for any news.

The advocacy group’s chief executive, Paddy Connolly, said government officials had a responsibility to immediately address the cutbacks-influenced issue.

“Minister Lynch must take responsibility for this situation and Government cannot say they were not forewarned [this would happen],” said Mr Connolly.

“This situation has repeated itself annually since 2008, yet young adults with disabilities and their families are again facing a summer of uncertainty as they wait to be told whether a service will materialise.

“There seems to be no forward planning on this issue. Young adults with disabilities are not permitted to build a future, instead they are slotted into whatever box is available.”

Tony Murray, spokesman for the National Parents and Siblings Alliance, said the difficulties meant young adults with a disability risk were being given sub-standard support — an issue that would cause outrage if it occurred in the wider community. “We’re really terrified that, instead of full-time service, many of those being given places in the autumn will only have two or three days a week.”

The problems come at a time when support organisations for people with disabilities have seen a 3.7% cut to budgets, in addition to being hit with a recruitment freeze.