New Year bombshell for people with disabilities

CONCERN has been raised that 100,000 hours of vital help for people with disabilities is to be cut by the government.

A Fianna Fáil TD claims the HSE plan for personal assistance has a target of 1.3 million hours for 2016. . .compared to 1.4 million supplied in 2015.

The assistance covers activities outside the home such as shopping, medical appointments and socialising.

The hours are allocated based on people’s needs. However, Deputy Colm Keaveney, Fianna Fáil's spokesman on disability, stated some recipients are receiving as little as four hours per week and can now expect even less.

The cuts will affect not only those living with disabilities but also their families, he argued.