THE mother of a mentally handicapped man is to stand ill the general election to highlight what she calls the callous neglect of St Ita's Hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin.
Ms Annie Ryan, who will stand in Dublin North, is a former president of the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland. She is a daughter of the late Mr Tom Harris, who was a Fianna Fail TD for Kildare for many years.
"The people who work so hard for those with a mental disability in Portrane are underfunded and generally ignored," she said in a statement. "Relatives are fobbed off with plans which stretch way into the future and cannot realistically alleviate the appalling quality of life which exists in Portrane."