This article is from page 14 of the 2012-12-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
“I CRIED that day.”
Young mother Niamh Daly who spends every hour of every day caring for her three-year-old daughter with special needs was brought to tears by the announcement that the respite grant would be cut by € 325 to € 1,375 for the year.
This money was not used for the purpose of respite in her home, but to pay to replace essential therapies already cut by the government.
Little Chantelle was diagnosed with autism nine months ago. At the time, Niamh was told she would be sent on a course to teach her how to help her daughter with speech and language, but no speech and language therapist or occupational therapist would be provided directly to the toddler.
To provide such services to her nonverbal daughter would cost Niamh € 100 per week.
She decided to use the respite grant, designed to give carers a brief holiday from their round-the-clock dedication, to provide some essential services when possible, and horseriding therapy which also helps her little girl manage her condition.
“This is just a whole lot coming together,” said Ms Daly, referring to the respite cut – the straw that broke the camel’s already seriously weakened back.
“If they keep cutting, I will just have to sit home with my child all day,” she said.
She laughed at the thought of taking a holiday, explaining that a few hours to go into town would be a heavenly break.
Niamh spends 24 hours a day, seven days a week, caring for her daughter and, as a result, cannot hold down a job.
“I can’t go out to work because my child requires 24-hour care. I want to work. This is the first time in my life I have not gone out to work. If I could work, I would at least be able to do overtime to get her some therapies, but I can’t because I have to care for her full-time.”
Niamh is busily collecting old mobile phones in the hope of exchanging them for an iPad.
She must collect 185 in a bid to get the tablet that would allow Chantelle to communicate with her mother and alleviate some of her daily frustrations as she struggles to speak.
The mother of one is angered that all Government TDs have been offered free iPads, along with all the other allowances and expenses, while carers struggle to survive.
She called on the ministers and TDs to spend a day living her life and believes that, after such an experience, they would reconsider any cut to carers and people with disabilities.
Cuts to the respite grant will save the Government € 26 million while TDs’ allowances and expenses come in at € 25 million.