We pay five-star rates for disability, so why isn’t it a first-class service?

A SUM of €68,648.

That’s what it costs in Ireland to provide the services that a person with an intellectual disability needs. Per annum.

On Sunday night last, I found an offer on the web for two nights bed-and-breakfast in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. It was €193 per person per night. The breakfast in the Shelbourne is, I believe, good, and because it’s a buffet you can eat your fill. At that rate, it would cost €70,445 to stay in the Shelbourne for a year. You can get cheaper deals in a range of four-star and five-star Dublin hotels.