Wicklow TD Says Lack Of Rural Wicklow Transport Leaves People With Disabilities Isolated.

The Dáil has been debating a motion that is looking to make more supports available to them.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, has spoken in the Dáil calling on government to address the lack of rural transport for service users making people with disabilities, prisoners in their own homes.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Whitmore said:

“I have been contacted by a number of constituents who are themselves service users or are family members of service users who cannot, because of the lack of transport provision, access the day services that have been allocated. As a consequence, these people are unable to access the day services such as Sunbeam House Services.

“These are people who need the services for support and socialisation and without being able to attend will be left at home, isolated. I have spoken to one individual who, on the 14th of June this year will be one full year without transport to his day services. The same individual had to go into respite for one week because of the stress and isolation he felt. In his own words, 'at least Respite changed the scenery for him.'

“I believe this is unacceptable and despite this man advocating for himself and pleading with the service providers, the HSE and contacting the Minister’s office, he is still at home for nearly a year.  The HSE advised him that they had overspent, and as a consequence there are no funds available to cover his transport needs. How can a department overspend, when they know in advance, who is on their service list?

“He has no indication from the HSE whether or not there will be funding available for him in the coming years and the uncertainty has driven him to say that he will give up his place at Sunbeam so that other service users on the waiting list can have his place. His quality of life and level of independence has been negatively impacted because of where he lives. It is incredulous that in 2023 that a service user is disadvantaged because of his post code."