Relatives and carers of people with intellectual disabilities may boycott next month's opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games in protest at what they say is the Government's poor record in supporting them.
The annual conference of NAMHI (a national organisation dedicated to promoting the rights of people with intellectual disabilities), held in Waterford at the weekend, also heard a call for Government Ministers not to be invited to attend the Special Olympics, which they were "likely to use as a photo opportunity".
A motion passed unanimously by the 300 delegates said "NAMHI supports the Special Olympics World Games as an expression of the abilities of people with learning disabilities and recognises the Special Olympics movement as an integral part of the wider disability movement. However, this year's World Games are taking place against the background of continued neglect by the Government of the rights and needs of people with disabilities."
The motion went on to condemn any attempts by "them [the Government] to use the games for any political or public relations purposes. The Government should be ashamed to appear at the games having failed to provide funding for new services and emergency situations."
The chairman of Limerick Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Mr Ger South, told the conference that continual campaigning had not resolved the crisis in services for the intellectually disabled.
"We have been attempting in our own way for over 25 years to get successive governments to acknowledge that there has been and still is a crisis in the services. The lack of funding in the Budget is going to have a catastrophic effect. In the Mid-Western Health Board Area, there are 62 people leaving school in June with no places available for them. Think of the impact that is going to have on them; from being involved to being shunted out with nowhere to go."
Mr John Ryan, also a member of the Limerick group, told delegates that he didn't want members of the Government to attend the games.
"My son Eoin is one of the hundreds leaving school this year that have no guarantee of services. So much for the Taoiseach being a patron of the European Year for People with Disabilities this year. How can we allow any member of this Government to go and represent us at the Special Olympics?"
Ms Catherine O'Leary from Cork, a member of NAMHI's executive council, expressed deep anger at the Government.
"As a parent of two special needs children, I am very angry with our Government. Despite continuous lobbying on our part, the Government has just ignored us. The Government is not listening, not watching; they just don't care and I am sick of it. I am sick of lobbying and shouting and not being listened to.
"Could you imagine if the general body of Leaving Certificate students got a letter to say, 'Sorry boys and girls there are no college places this year'; there would be an absolute uproar. This is what is happening to our people and nobody cares."
"I am appealing to Minister of State Tim O'Malley and Bertie Ahern, to their moral conscience, to provide the funds that are necessary to get the intellectual disability services out of crisis. Micheal Martin doesn't like the word 'crisis' but we are in a crisis and have been for a long time. It is sad that we have to target our politicians with this motion but if meetings don't work, if talking to them doesn't work and writing to them doesn't work, what else can we do?"
At Friday night's official opening of the conference, and in advance of the anti-Government motions, Ms Mary Davis, chief executive of the Special Olympics World Games, received a standing ovation, having outlined the work involved in bringing the games to Ireland.
However, after her presentation, Ms Davis would not be drawn on the Government's perceived lack of commitment to ongoing services for the intellectually disabled but rather praised its work in facilitating the hosting of the games in Ireland.
"The Government has been hugely supportive about the games and we could not have organised them without their support. One of the reasons we were successful in our host country bid was because of the strength of the Government behind the games at that time."