#GE2020: McLoughlin Healy highlights disability issues

The issue of services and support for people with disabilities is being emphasised by Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy in her bid to gain a Dail seat for Kildare South.

She says she used her voice as a public representative to highlight issues for people with disability, and also has direct knowledge of them because of her nephew Tomás, who has spastic quadriplegia. "I know the difficulties and battle faced by both him and his parents on a daily basis," she says. "Disability matters to me. Let’s hope whoever represents Kildare South after Feb 8th feels the same."

The councillor cites her work with Cerebral Palsy Ireland, and her managing of the rebranding of Enable Ireland to make sure that service users were front and centre in this. She also notes her local involvement as an advocate and board member of Sensational Kids which works for children with autism and other learning needs, on waiting lists for Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy and other services.

As a a founder member of the South Kildare Educate Together (SKET) campaign for a new school she supports the group's requirement for ASD classrooms for children with autism.

She is publicly supporting the Disability Action Coalition and commits to ensuring that their asks are included in the next Programme for Government. In particular reversing a planned €20m cut in the HSE's 2020 disability budget, 'which will hit services severely'.

Cllr McLoughlin Healy recently had, courtesy of the Muiriosa Foundation, 'an informative and at times emotional' briefing from people with disabilities and their families (pictured above).

(This is derived from material provided by the candidate.)

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