Some disabled people in Ireland have to sleep in their own wheelchairs because of the lack of staff to assist them to bed, the head of the Cheshire Foundation said today.
His comments came at the launch of "Unseen, Unheard, Unfair - The Forgotten 40,000", a campaign to highlight State underfunding for people with disabilities.
Nine organisations are participating in the campaign, to protest at what they term "totally inadequate" funding for the 40,000 people in the country with physical and sensory disabilities.
While the disability sector is to receive €6.4 million in the current year, this represents only one sixth of the €38 million the Department of Health itself estimated is required in 2002 for safe and effective service delivery, according to a statement released by the campaign today.
"What the lack of funding means is that people have to wait to get up and dressed rather than doing so when they want, it means that people cannot have baths or showers on a daily basis, it means that people cannot get out to work or socialise in their local communities because of insufficient transport," said Mr Mark Blake-Knox of the Cheshire Foundation.
"We know of people having to sleep in their own wheelchairs because of the lack of staff to assist them to bed."
Co-chairman of the campaign Mr Frank Flannery of the Rehab Group called for the Government to address the situation. "The Department of Health's own report shows clearly that the continued under-funding of these services needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. It states that up to 1,000 extra staff are required to effectively deliver the existing services throughout the country.
"The funding for these essential service improvements must be forthcoming, the alternative is deficient services, health and safety risks and unsustainable bank borrowings by the voluntary sector to provide public services "
The organisations participating in the campaign are the Central Remedial Clinic, the Cheshire Foundation in Ireland, Enable Ireland, Gandon Enterprises, the Irish Wheelchair Association, the National Association for Deaf People, the National Council for the Blind, the National Training and Development Institute and RehabCare.