Disabled people 'isolated' due to lack of personal assistance hours, says advocate

Gary Kearney: 'People are preventing from leading an independent life.' Picture: Paul Sherwood

The lack of personal assistance hours and staff for disabled people are isolating them socially, while certain protocols are preventing others from being politically active, according to a self-advocate.

Gary Kearney described the number of hours available to disabled people as “ridiculous” adding that it is isolating some disabled people from society.

This comes as a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) highlighted that although many respondents were happy with the quality of care received, some highlighted that they were effectively confined to their homes due to a lack of personal assistance (PA) hours.

“This is a typical HSE/ESRI report that is smoke and mirrors,” Mr Kearney said before adding that the medical model approach is keeping disabled people from having not only an independent life but also leaving their homes beyond grocery shopping.

“You can’t fit us into a box called the disabled box, and that’s the problem because they’re thinking of it in a medical sense and not a social sense. The social model of disability is all about the person,” he said.

“People say that the only time they go out is to go shopping, they can’t go to the pictures or go socialising because they don’t have the hours.

They took people out of institutional care with the idea that PAs would help them to live independently, which they do, but then they cut the hours.

Mr Kearney also highlighted the fact that the system restrains some disabled people from being politically active.

He recalled a meeting where one woman had to ask a friend to bring her as her PA was not allowed to go due to it being considered a “political meeting”. 

“If carers go to a protest, they could be in trouble because they’re not supposed to be there, which takes some disabled people out of the political sphere and takes away their civil right to protest,” he said.

Mr Kearney said that although many carers are passionate about their work and go above and beyond, the quality of some care is “shocking” due to poor pay and working conditions.

Disability Federation of Ireland communications manager, Brenda Drumm, welcomed the report and said it aligns with the lived experiences of disabled people.

Services underfunded

Ms Drumm said that although there is a high level of satisfaction from those who do have PAs, services are underfunded nationally.

"There is space for reform to standardise how PA [hours] are allocated across the country as there are significant unmet needs," she said.

“PAs need to be put on a statutory footing and we acknowledge that work is under way in this regard which is welcome.

The ESRI report underlines the importance of listening to the voices of disabled people when it comes to their needs.

"The report highlights what’s needed to ensure that disabled people can live life to the full rather than being confined to their homes,” she said.

The HSE’s head of operations for disability services Bernard O’Regan said the report highlighted inconsistencies experienced by disabled people in accessing PA supports and the limitations in how those supports might be used.

“This report will be used by the HSE through a working group being established to improve this important service, as well as making a valuable contribution to the service planning process,” he said.