Letter to the Editor: Merciless cut to trainees who have a disability
The Cork Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association condemns unreservedly the decision by the HSE to end the payment of the rehabilitative training allowance to new entrants. It is a mean and merciless action.
This weekly payment of €31.80 to adults with disabilities who attend training and education courses is of great assistance in helping them overcome the many challenges they face.
The HSE have also been deliberately divisive in the way they intend to implement this cut.
The intention to apply the the withdrawal of the allowance to new entrants is an attempt to create division between the existing trainees and new trainees who will be denied the allowance.
This attempt at divide and conquer has already failed as evidenced by the demonstrations by recipients of the allowance against its withdrawal for trainees commencing their course in September.
The Government and the HSE claim that the removal of the allowance will generate €3.7m in savings, which will be invested in day services for people with disabilities.
This is a threadbare justification. There are massive gaps in day services for people with disabilities.
The minuscule amount saved will have marginal influence on improving day services. Instead, the cutback will mean real suffering for people with disabilities who depend on this allowance to access training services.
The Cork Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association call on the HSE, Ministers Simon Harris and Finian McGrath to immediately reverse this disgraceful cut.
