Tragic story illustrates society gulf
In tragic terms, it illustrates the widening gulf between the haves and have-nots in Irish society.
Who could not be moved by the desperate plight of Kilkenny mother-of-six Susan Maher who had to drive to Dublin every day for speech therapy lessons for her four-year-old son Bobby because they were unavailable in her area.
Even though she had written to the Government, pleading for such a facility to be provided, her pleas went unheard. Before dawn each morning she left home and returned after dark.
In the appalling final chapter of this saga of failure by the State to deliver on a child’s basic right to learn how to speak, Susan Maher was killed in a fatal accident as she made the long return journey from Dublin with Bobby on Monday night.
Sadly, despite such a heart-rending tragedy, the Coalition’s record of nurturing the interests of better-off taxpayers does not inspire confidence that a more generous attitude will be adopted towards people on the margins.
In a society increasingly driven by materialism, the rich continue to grow richer as the poor grow poorer, not just in monetary terms but also because children like Bobby are denied access to such basic facilities as speech therapy. Shamefully, this situation persists at a time when the wealthy continue to enjoy tax loopholes.
Schoolchildren in need of therapy are suffering because a health board is refusing to pay the cost of hiring private therapists. Instead, they are recruiting them abroad at lower wages. Doubtless, this explains why there are 78 vacancies for therapists while an extra 388 are needed.
Though he is expected to unveil an enhanced social welfare package in today’s Budget, barring a Road to Damascus conversion the minister seems unlikely to improve the lot of the mentally or physically disabled, the chronically ill, or the educationally deprived.
Having squandered millions in an orgy of spending to buy votes in the run up to the May election, the Government is inflicting swingeing cutbacks on the public. Across the board, the cost of such basic requirements as medical treatment, education, transport, refuse disposal, water and power are being ratcheted up.
Going on the latest Exchequer returns, Mr McCreevy is now facing a far less disastrous situation on the revenue front than previously forecast. However, we can expect him to target the old reliables of petrol, alcohol and tobacco in order to bridge the gap between revenue and expenditure.
The move to make drink and cigarettes more costly will be justified on medical grounds and presented as socially progressive. Arguably, this initiative would be more plausible if the Government ring-fenced these revenues for the health service. Regrettably, there is no track record in this regard.
While a rise of 8% in health expenditure has been flagged in the estimates, this represents a shortfall in real terms as medical inflation is running at 10%. This scenario makes a mockery of the Government’s pledge to pump 1 billion extra into health every year for the next decade.
Charlie McCreevy prides himself as a minister who, once spending limits are fixed, is not for turning.
Nevertheless, when he rises to address the Dáil today, he should remember Susan Maher and numerous parents like her across the country who endure untold sacrifices for their children because of Government neglect.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
