Diversionary tactics

How many of us know what it is like to have a child with a learning disability? How many of us know the extent of the task involved in caring for such a child? Is there anyone that would deny them the care they deserve? Is there anyone who would deny their parents and carers the support they desperately need?

As reported in this paper last week, the Brothers of Charity in Galway is being forced to pay wage increments owing to staff from the funding it gets for service provision because the Health Service Executive has not made provision for the increments in funding for the organisation.

Consequently, money that is being given to the service provider for care is being diverted for other purposes at a time when there are waiting lists for essential services and parents are struggling to cope.

Frustratingly for the Brothers of Charity Service in Galway, it has no choice but to make the payments from funding to its staff, as the Brothers of Charity Service in Limerick was ordered by the Labour Relations Commission to pay increments it had owing to staff in a similar case.

Worse still, carers, whose work can not be questioned and whose right to the increments is not at issue, are left feeling that they are in some way taking from those that they are desperately trying to care for, as the HSE remains schtum on the issue, offering bland platitudes about challenging financial times and maximum service provision on a reduced budget.

Worryingly for parents, their vulnerable children and carers, the situation is about to get even worse, as the charity has been told that it can expect further cuts to its budget this year.

Under the HSE’s National Service Plan, funding for disability services will be cut by 3.7 per cent across the board, which could result in a cut of around €1.6 million for Brothers of Charity Services Galway. Parent lobby group Hope4Disability has even warned that the final cut to the charity’s budget could amount to €2 million plus, when the salary increment payments and other costs are included.

How sad is it then that a war of words seems to have erupted between campaigners and workers, whose objective – the care of vulnerable children – is ultimately the same? A united front is now needed!