This Wednesday, 8th July, we’ll bring a motion to the Dáil calling for the right of every adult with an intellectual disability to live as independently as possible, with the supports they need, in their own community.
Our motion is informed by the testimony of disabled people, families and advocates who responded to our recent ‘A Place Called Home’ survey, and by the powerful work of the Before We Die campaign.
What comes through in our survey responses is heartbreaking. Many ageing parents are living with a fear no family should have to endure: that their adult son or daughter will be left unsafe, unsupported or uprooted when they are no longer able to care for them.
Some parents explicitly said they hoped to outlive their own children because they have so little confidence that the State will protect them when they are gone.
Government must support our motion this week and come up with a strategy that provides a clear roadmap for planning, funding and accountability.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey.
You can watch live from 10am on Wednesday 8th July on Oireachtas TV