The HSE has been criticized for failing to fund the provision of transportation for a Fingal-based wheelchair user who attends adult day services at the Central Remedial Clinic in Clontarf.

arry Kavanagh, from Rush, revealed it costs € 230 per week to organize private transport, which is more than the € 203 disability allowance his son John (26) receives.

John, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has been attending CRC since he was six months old, where his educational and physical needs have always been met. When he finished his studies at the age of 19, he entered the clinic’s transition program before moving to the rehabilitation training unit.

However, when John secured a spot with Adult Day Services a little over two years ago, his family were informed that there was no transport budget available from the HSE to take him to and from the CRC, which he attends five days a week.

Mr Kavanagh told Fingal Independent he didn’t think it would be possible to find adult day services closer to Rush that could meet John’s physical needs.

“Due to his level of ability, he will never work or be able to travel alone,” he explained. “Physically, he cannot stand, walk, sit or self-transfer independently.

“John is independent when he is at CRC because he knows his environment well. As he grew up, all of his physical development needs were met there – everything from speech therapy to language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, was under one roof.

“It is difficult for John to function independently in the community at large and the reality is that he has to have someone with him at all times. The CRC is the place where he can be a full person and have his own identity.

“One of our main needs is the need to belong – and John can belong there. CRC gives him a feeling of independence and freedom.

Mr Kavanagh said they were “lucky” to recently find someone in private to drive their own specially adapted car to bring John to and from CRC.

“We invest for 100 € of diesel each week”, he revealed. “The weekly cost of € 230 doesn’t even include the upkeep and upkeep of our car, which is getting old and will need to be replaced due to all the extra wear and tear it causes. Last week I had to keep John home because the car was in the garage for repairs.

“In reality, this is the guts of another mortgage for us. Fortunately, we are able to do this, but other families may not be so lucky.

Mr Kavanagh said he was aware of a mother who had to give up her job as a caregiver so that she could bring her son to and from CRC. He called on the HSE, “to the bare minimum”, to restore the mobility allowance and motorized transport assistance, which was abolished in 2013.

The government was informed at the time that this payment was illegal on the grounds that it discriminated against people over the age of 66, who did not have the right to apply.

He stressed that his criticisms were not aimed at CRC, which he described as “a center of excellence” for people with cerebral palsy.

“However, there is no point in offering adults places for day services for people with disabilities if they cannot get there,” he added. “I am concerned that this situation will result in the loss of access to these services for many people with special needs. “

The HSE said it had not commented on the individual cases. However, he published this diary with the following statement.

“The Department of Health and HSE provide and fund the delivery of person-centered disability services, including day services and rehabilitation training, according to assessed needs and personal choices. The HSE is not funded to provide transport services that allow people to access services such as day services / rehabilitation training services.

“The Ministry of Transport, Tourism and Sports is responsible for the continued development and availability of accessible public transport for all people within the framework of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021.

“Occasionally, transportation aids are part of the daytime service activities and allow people to access various events, such as artistic and cultural tours, and so on. This transportation is primarily recreational and is not available for travel to and from morning and evening services.

“Service providers explore transport options with the people who frequent their services, supporting access, for example, through travel training to enable the use of public transport, where appropriate; local transport, such as Local Link; contributions from service users; and family supports. The HSE and funded providers strive to work with individuals and their families to identify where possible solutions that allow them to have the service of their choice as close as possible to their homes.