Mattie McGrath: Calls carers 'abandoned' after Covid
Mattie McGrath criticised the treatment of carers and people with disabilities, saying carers have been "literally abandoned" since Covid and that recent payments were inadequate. He urged the minister to address failures in HSE practice, housing transfers and joined-up services for families.
Carers' payments and the Indycon report
McGrath said carers received only a once-off payment and were not linked to other extra payments, leaving them with insufficient support. He referenced the Indycon report as confirmation that people with disabilities face significant extra costs.
Allegations of unequal treatment within the HSE
He accused the HSE of an "apartheid system" for treating 1,639 workers as a different type of worker and criticised what he called excessive management, assessors and "pin-pushing" within services. McGrath questioned how the minister could stand over the current arrangements while money flows through the HSE.
Praise for some services and criticism of camps
McGrath praised certain caring places, mentioning Scolengis called Cormac in Cashel and special rooms for autism in schools, while saying the camp service "leaves an awful lot to be desired." He acknowledged effective local services but stressed gaps in provision.
Personal case and housing transfer plea
He passed a letter from Michael in Clannmel about his 29-year-old daughter Ginny, who has profound disabilities, and described the family's anguish and long-term care. McGrath called for a housing transfer to place Ginny near her father, highlighted accessibility issues such as steps at the current home, and warned of a lack of joined-up thinking between county councils, housing authorities and families who keep relatives out of hospital and save the state money.
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I too am thankful for Sinn Fein putting on this motion and would like to say my few words on it. Look, the carers have been literally abandoned, especially in Covid, but since Covid, and they expected something meaningful this year, you know, that you would link them directly to other extra payments that are there. They didn't get that linkage, they got their once-off payment, all right, but that won't bring them very far. Look, the Indycon report says enough. It says that people with disabilities, as we all know, we didn't need an Indycon report to tell us that they have a lot of extra costs. And that should be acknowledged. I don't know, Minister, how you can stand over this situation. I don't know how you can stand over an apartheid system within the HSE where 1639 workers are a different, regarded as a different type of worker and they can be treated any which way they like. And there's such money flowing around the HSE. And when we have a person with a disability, and should we look at their capabilities, really, and what their ability, what they're able to do. The amount of managers and assessors that will come out to meet them, and the cost of that. So it's all pin-pushing. A lot of it is pin-pushing. And the caring places then that are so good, the place like Scolengis is called Cormac in Cashel. The places that many have the special rooms now for autism and everything else, in the international schools, it's not me, sorry, international schools and everywhere else, and I salute them, and secondary schools. But look, the camp service leaves an awful lot to be desired. It's simply outrageous. And Minister, I passed you a letter this morning to the Usher from Michael in Clannmel, whose 29-year-old daughter, with profound disabilities, and the anguish that he's gone through, and the caring that he's given on his wife and family. And there's no joined-up thinking within the services. His daughter then, Ginny, who wants to come and get a housing transfer to be quite near him, and to have a house that she can accept her daughter, or sister into, or sibling into, and look after her. Of course, she, at the moment, has huge steps, and there's steps, and it's inaccessible. So, they mostly joined-up thinking within the county council, housing authority, and families like this, who are saving the state of an absolute fortune by keeping their loved one out of hospital. 29, I think she's one of the oldest with the disability she had at childbirth, living in this day, and I salute that family. But I asked the new minister to act on it, and I try and get a sibling put, a transfer, a transfer she's looking for, to be near, to be able to help dad and ma'am who are getting old. You can imagine if she's 29, that dad and ma'am are pushing on in years, and the work and dedication that they have. And there are many families like them throughout the country that save, after Tipperary, that save millions to the HSE, and they're not treated, and not treated with respect that they should repeat, let alone to say what the patient receives. Thank you. Thank you.
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