Locals join protest over health cuts

MEMBERS and staff of the Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living (CIL) joined the nationwide protest last week against the controversial healthcare cuts.

Michael McCabe and Aaron Abbey of the Blanchardstown CIL stayed outside Government buildings last Monday night (September 3) to protest against cuts to home help.

The protests paid off when Minister for Health James Reilly announced that he had instructed the HSE

“to continue to provide services to people in receipt of personal assistant services in accordance with their needs

?.

The move, widely seen as a u-turn, followed a storm of criticism that followed when the HSE announced the cuts the previous week.

In a statement released following the Government’s climb-down, the Blanchardstown CIL welcomed the reversal of cuts but urged for further reassurances in relation to resources for disabled people.

“Blanchardstown CIL welcome the row-back on the cuts, but want additional reassurances from the Government that cuts to other areas will not affect any other frontline services or the organisations that have already been cut by 14 per cent over the last few years,

? a statement read.

“If the HSE in the next budget tries to strip back on these services, the disability community will be back in force to protest and demonstrate.

“They did not cause the banking collapse and will not be used as scapegoats to shore up the mistakes of others.

?

The Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living said personal assistants were important and invaluable to the quality of life of many disabled people and their ability to live independently.