MONAGHAN DESERVES BETTER FOR ITS PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – DEMAND FOR PERMANENT FACILITIES

MONAGHAN DESERVES BETTER FOR ITS PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – DEMAND FOR PERMANENT FACILITIES - Cllr Sarah O'Reilly

The fact that families in Monaghan with additional needs continue to be so badly served due to a glaring lack of facilities is a damming indictment of this and successive governments.

That’s according to Aontú Cavan Monaghan Cllr Sarah O’Reilly who joined her party Leader Peadar Tóibín for a meeting with campaigners from SNAP, longtime advocates for badly need facilities in the county including a special needs school, a permanent Respite Centre and a Day centre.

Campaigners said that services for children and adults in Monaghan with special needs are grossly inadequate, disjointed and failing hundreds of children.

Cllr Sarah O’Reilly said

“It is deeply frustrating that Monaghan is so poorly served in terms of disability services. More so given that fact that St McCartan’s Secondary School has been good enough to offer land to the department of education in order to build the school. It is shocking that children with special needs are spending anything up to four hours on a bus to attend special education in this county”.

“Providing services for people with special needs is important to our party. We believe that all our citizens should be able to live to their full potential in this country, they should be cherished and respected”.

“The fact that Monaghan still does not have a permanent Respite Centre is shocking. What respite there is, is distributed sparingly among families who are very much in need. And when children finish school and become adults there isn’t the necessary capacity at Day services here”.

“This is both a disservice to them and to their family carers who are saving the state billions. It is deeply unjust “

“We are delighted to have procured a meeting with the campaigners, together with a senior official from the Department of Education. We are now engaging with the Minister on this issue, to really push for fairness and equality for people with disabilities in Monaghan. They deserve services as good as anywhere else in the country”.

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.