Sir, - Sitting on the 46A bus the other morning as it swooped past hundreds of cars bumper to bumper, I compared the choices available to my 17-year-old son with those of the fine young men, incongruously dressed in school uniforms, lining the aisle on their way to school.
Despite his multiple disabilities, my son too is a fine young man in his final year of school. Yet there will be no discussions during the winter as to whether he wants to continue his education or train for possible employment. Despite all efforts, it is unlikely that he will be offered a place in any of the limited number of over-stretched, under-funded, centres supposedly available to him. Instead, he and I will probably learn the daytime TV schedule off by heart and quietly go out of our minds.
As Dr Sinead O Nuallain (September 8th) made clear, ours is neither an isolated nor an extraordinary family. Services for people with disability and their carers are in crisis but families are too tired and too disheartened to create the furore necessary to make our decision-makers hear.
So, before I go out to buy the RTE Guide, may I make a personal, loud plea to Mr Brian Cowen, Minister for Health, to listen and act on the recommendations offered by Dr O'Nuallain and others. - Yours, etc.,
Marianne O'Malley, Lower Mounttown, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.