Care for the carers

Each year many groups make representations and submissions to Government and particularly in the lead-up to the budget.

This year was no exception when many voluntary groups joined forces to promote the need for increased funding for people with disabilities and for those who care for them on a daily basis.

The State must recognise and take account of the huge savings that accrue to the health budget because family members are prepared to provide full-time care. These savings should be calculated and channelled back into the resources and support for carers.

Many challenges face those who care for young children with disabilities. In the past information as to what a parent was entitled to was not as forthcoming as it should have been.

In terms of access to schools, a tremendous effort is rightly being made to give young disabled people the opportunity to participate in education. It is a basic human right. However, there are still terrible problems for people who live in rural towns and villages. For example, many children and adults with disabilities, in need of special therapeutic treatment, must travel many miles to receive it because there are no care centres in their regions to treat them. Resource, respite and health care centres have proven to be a huge success but need to be expanded and not centralised.

Nobody is advocating that people with disabilities should be placed in a position of luxury or privilege of a special nature. The aim should be to allow those with disabilities as much freedom as possible.

I congratulate the many people with disabilities who serve in the workplace, including State and semi-State bodies, and do so with great efficiency, courtesy and decorum.

Cllr Noel Collins

Midleton

Co Cork