HSE accused of 'talking nonsense' about funding as anger spills over
Leah Walsh (5) from Carnmore, Galway with her sister Hannah (7) at the protest in Galway. Picture: Ray Ryan
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The HSE was accused yesterday of talking "nonsense" about cuts in funding for disability services.
An estimated 500 people, including families and carers of people with intellectual disabilities, held a rally in Galway city, and later marched to deliver a letter of protest to HSE management.
The rally followed crisis meetings in Galway of the board of the largest provider of services, the Brothers of Charity, and families of those receiving the services.
The board of the Brothers of Charity Services -- the organisation caters for 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities in Galway -- confirmed that it had considered the potential impact of a new round of cuts as communicated by the HSE last Friday.
The latest cut -- which was unexpected -- is in addition to a reduction in funding of €2m last March. The board and the families made it clear that they would not accept any further cuts as these would inevitably lead to a dismantling of the essential respite service.
Prior to yesterday's rally, the HSE issued a statement insisting that it had not agreed on further cuts to the Brothers of Charity budget allocation. While the HSE was not in the business of cutting front-line services, there was an obligation to get the best value for public funds, the statement said.
But addressing yesterday's rally in Galway, Eamon Walsh, chairperson of Hope for Disability Galway, said that while the HSE spoke about efficiencies, children with disabilities were left to suffer the consequences.
Mr Walsh said: "In Galway we are already faced with the closure of essential services and the obliteration of respite by the end of the year.
"This farcical nonsense being trotted out by the HSE 'we are not about cutting budgets, we are about cutting costs' is meaningless. The entire budget of the HSE and voluntary agencies are costs. The 2010 Health Budget already has cuts to disability in it."
Meanwhile, more than 50 people demonstrated in Castlebar, Co Mayo. Protesters gathered outside Fianna Fail TD Beverley Flynn's constituency offices in Newtown at 12.30pm. Ms Flynn was not there personally to receive the message of protest.
Afterwards the marchers -- including members of Down Syndrome Mayo; Disability Ireland and of the group AIRC -- marched up the Main Street of Castlebar to the HSE offices at Mayo General Hospital and handed in a letter of protest there.
Ms Angela Locke, a founder member of AIRC, explained the main concerns of protesters were the reduction of school special needs assistants; the closure of two accommodation bungalows at Aras Attracta in Swinford, Co Mayo; reductions in the numbers of social workers and reduced funding for respite care.
- Brian McDonald and Tom Shiel
Irish Independent
