Cllr Mick Roche has condemned the
scrapping of funding for an advocacy service provided to thousands of deaf
people. The Sinn Féin Councillor said
that with a tick of a pen the government had callously closed a critical service
which was used by over 5,000 deaf people.
"The Irish Deaf Society's
advocacy service existed to help deaf people access public services, education,
healthcare and employment," Cllr Roche said, "For the last eleven
years it has bridged a huge social exclusion gap allowing many deaf people and
their families to live much more fulfilled lives. There is no justification for this cut and it
looks like the people who wiped it out with a tick of a pen gave no thought
what so ever to the long term consequences of their actions."
"The deaf community is very
vibrant in County Wexford. There are
about one hundred who organise regular fundraising and social events. They rightly feel that are often treated very
poorly. It is very difficult for deaf
people to engage with the state. A visit
to the hospital, dialogue with the Gardaí or any dealings with other social
services can be very difficult. This
callous cut will make their lives even harder."
"The Irish Deaf Society, the Alzheimers Society of Ireland, the Carer's
Association and Muintir na Tire all received €75,000 annually under a programme
operated by the Department of the Environment before this cut. These are real charity groups, operating on
the ground under constant financial pressure.
It is insane to cut their funding while other bodies see fit to pay
their CEO's exorbitant wages while claiming state funding."
"There was once a notorious
Fine Gael/Labour government which was vilified for taxing children's
shoes. Even today people talk about them
with contempt. This current administration
has just ruined the lives of thousands of deaf, Alzheimer's suffers, carers and
their families. How will history judge
this government? Sinn Féin is calling for this funding to be reinstated
immediately."
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