Sir, – Prof Gerard Quinn makes very valid points about what direction services for people with disabilities should be progressing (June 13th).
As the father of a 10-year-old with a severe disability, it is frustrating to see that respite services are under-resourced. Caring for a child with a disability is exhausting and stressful. Investment in respite services is vital. We hear plenty of platitudes about carers, but what carers want and need are regular planned breaks.
My daughter’s school will shortly close for two months for the summer, and there will be no suitable and safe summer camps for her to attend. Her siblings, in contrast, could attend camps every week, if they so wished.
Articles and stories highlighting the achievements of people with disabilities are only part of the story. Let us not forget the parents, siblings and carers who struggle every day, providing care for a son, a daughter or a sibling, and who require the lifeline of respite breaks to live their own lives.
Let us hope the Minister of State for Disability Issues will find funding for these services too. – Yours, etc,
GERARD LYNCH,
Dublin 11.