I have Cerebral Palsy and chronic pain and I’m confined to a wheelchair. I have been living on my own since August 2000 with the help of 3 personal assistants who help me in every aspect of my daily life. Without them I would be in an institution. I was among the first 30 people to get a PA service through the Centre for Independent Living in 1993 so that I could go to Trinity College. I will be graduating with a Masters in History on Friday 13th of February 2009.
Now most of the PA services are administered through the Irish Wheelchair Association and other service providers.
Through having PAs I have also been able to do voluntary community work. The Personal Assistants have enabled me to live independently and keep my dignity. Yet I fear my PA hours will be cut so drastically under the Disability Act 2005 that I would not be able to continue to live independently any more.
Throughout the boom years the government neglected to ring fence funding for people with disabilities. Now with the economic downturn the government is looking at cutting costs by taking vital services away from people with disabilities.
The Disability Act 2005 is very draconian in nature by insisting that people must apply to their local HSE to keep the services they already have let alone applying for any extra services needed. Under the Disability Act the decision about individual services rests with the head of the local HSE.
I had my hours increased in April 2007 with direct funding from the HSE because up until that time I had to give the PA, who worked on Sundays, 6 hours off while I had to be collected by special transport to spend those hours with my elderly parents.
This was against the Health & Safety Regulations because my parent’s house is not equipped to cater to my needs.
The government is taking 'Independent Living' out of context as I discovered when I attended a presentation given by Susie Byrne from the Dublin Advocacy Service on December 4th 2008.
The government is closing the two oldest Cheshire Homes in Ireland, thus creating a climate of fear which will lead to a 'divide and conquer' mentality among people with disabilities and groups who represent people with disabilities so that the government can make the cuts and changes it deems necessary for the savings in the economy.
Recent press reports indicate that there are a further 7000 possible service users yet to be assessed, and it is likely that a significant number of these people will be in need of some personal assistance.
The impact of the combination of the 600 on the current waiting list added to the potential waiting list from those waiting to be assessed, be they adults or children, is significant and the impact need to be considered by the Board in charting the future of the IWA - ALS service.
We in the Labour Party must not let the present government get away with this discriminating plan. This mentality is one reason why there is such a need for the Human Rights Commissioner. We cannot continue playing with peoples lives and treat disabled people as second-class citizens.
Because of having PAs, people with significant disabilities in Ireland have been employed and ARE employable.
Ireland is one of the few countries within the EU which does not have the Human Rights Commissioner for people with disabilities. The Irish government has failed to ratify the law which would bring the Human Rights Commissioner into existence for people with disability.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Press Release
PAINTING EXHIBITION BY
‘A TRULY INSPIRING IRISHWOMAN’
TO BE HELD AT CENTRE OF MONACO’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS
The Princess Grace Irish Library (under the aegis of the Fondation Princesse Grace) in Monaco is to host an exhibition of watercolours by Irish painter Mary Collins, starting on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th and continuing for one month. It is the latest in a series of events and exhibitions organised by the Library to celebrate and promote exceptional accomplishments by Irish-linked artists in literature and the visual arts.
Mary Collins has been painting since 1990 and has had 11 exhibitions. Despite the considerable handicaps of cerebral palsy and chronic pain, Mary has become a painter of note, she is a poet, and has an MA from Trinity College Dublin. She took up painting “as a way of accessing parts of the world that aren’t so accessible to me or anyone in a wheel-chair”. She lives in Dun Laoghaire and established the online BlueWave Art Gallery. Her achievements to date will be an inspiration to other people with disabilities.
It was because of the paintings exhibited on the BlueWave website, allied to her growing reputation, that that the Princess Grace Irish Library awarded Mary this exhibition. It is her first exhibition outside Ireland.
“It is a wonderful and unexpected opportunity. Princess Grace holds a special place in my heart and I am overjoyed that my watercolours will be seen in such a prestigious setting”, Mary said.
Anne Anderson, Irish Ambassador to Monaco and France, describes Mary as ‘a truly inspiring Irishwoman who has never let her disability hinder her creativity and talent’, adding, ’ I am delighted that her work has been chosen to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2009’.
The Princess Grace Irish Library was opened in 1984 by His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince Rainier III of Monaco, as his tribute to the attachment Princess Grace felt for her Irish origins. It houses a collection of almost 10,000 volumes of Irish works of all periods, including many first and signed editions. It is a very active centre for all things Irish and plays a significant role expanding interest in Irish culture and Irish art.
About Mary:
Mary Collins was diagnosed with cerebral palsy before her first birthday and has been confined to a wheel chair for most of her life. Instead of letting her illness define her life, she adopted as her motto the advice of a friend: ’Turn your disability into an ability’.
After attending the Central Remedial Clinic School in Clontarf, Ballinteer Community School and the National Training College in Sandymount, she went to Trinity College Dublin where she has recently completed her M.Lit Research Masters degree on Irish Cultural Institutions and their impact on Contemporary Ireland.
A true altruist, Mary is involved in many community groups. She was part of the EU EQUAL project, Equality through Ework, sits on the Board of Southside Partnership, is Vice Chair of Accessible Community Transport Southside (ACTS), the Disability Interest Group (DIG) and represents the Community and Voluntary Forum in the Disability Consultative Group (formerly known as the Barcelona Team).
The Blue Wave Arts Gallery is at: http://www.bluewavearts.ie
For full details of the Princess Grace Irish Library and its work for Ireland, see http://www3.monaco.mc/pglib
Contact at library: Judith Gantley, Tel 00 377 9350 1225 / pglib@monaco.mc
‘A TRULY INSPIRING IRISHWOMAN’
TO BE HELD AT CENTRE OF MONACO’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS
The Princess Grace Irish Library (under the aegis of the Fondation Princesse Grace) in Monaco is to host an exhibition of watercolours by Irish painter Mary Collins, starting on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th and continuing for one month. It is the latest in a series of events and exhibitions organised by the Library to celebrate and promote exceptional accomplishments by Irish-linked artists in literature and the visual arts.
Mary Collins has been painting since 1990 and has had 11 exhibitions. Despite the considerable handicaps of cerebral palsy and chronic pain, Mary has become a painter of note, she is a poet, and has an MA from Trinity College Dublin. She took up painting “as a way of accessing parts of the world that aren’t so accessible to me or anyone in a wheel-chair”. She lives in Dun Laoghaire and established the online BlueWave Art Gallery. Her achievements to date will be an inspiration to other people with disabilities.
It was because of the paintings exhibited on the BlueWave website, allied to her growing reputation, that that the Princess Grace Irish Library awarded Mary this exhibition. It is her first exhibition outside Ireland.
“It is a wonderful and unexpected opportunity. Princess Grace holds a special place in my heart and I am overjoyed that my watercolours will be seen in such a prestigious setting”, Mary said.
Anne Anderson, Irish Ambassador to Monaco and France, describes Mary as ‘a truly inspiring Irishwoman who has never let her disability hinder her creativity and talent’, adding, ’ I am delighted that her work has been chosen to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2009’.
The Princess Grace Irish Library was opened in 1984 by His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince Rainier III of Monaco, as his tribute to the attachment Princess Grace felt for her Irish origins. It houses a collection of almost 10,000 volumes of Irish works of all periods, including many first and signed editions. It is a very active centre for all things Irish and plays a significant role expanding interest in Irish culture and Irish art.
About Mary:
Mary Collins was diagnosed with cerebral palsy before her first birthday and has been confined to a wheel chair for most of her life. Instead of letting her illness define her life, she adopted as her motto the advice of a friend: ’Turn your disability into an ability’.
After attending the Central Remedial Clinic School in Clontarf, Ballinteer Community School and the National Training College in Sandymount, she went to Trinity College Dublin where she has recently completed her M.Lit Research Masters degree on Irish Cultural Institutions and their impact on Contemporary Ireland.
A true altruist, Mary is involved in many community groups. She was part of the EU EQUAL project, Equality through Ework, sits on the Board of Southside Partnership, is Vice Chair of Accessible Community Transport Southside (ACTS), the Disability Interest Group (DIG) and represents the Community and Voluntary Forum in the Disability Consultative Group (formerly known as the Barcelona Team).
The Blue Wave Arts Gallery is at: http://www.bluewavearts.ie
For full details of the Princess Grace Irish Library and its work for Ireland, see http://www3.monaco.mc/pglib
Contact at library: Judith Gantley, Tel 00 377 9350 1225 / pglib@monaco.mc
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