Mr. Paul Alford:

Interviewing your own supporter is very important, as is choosing who you want to support you. My supporter has been with me eight years - since I moved out of institutions. I found it hard moving out of institutions. Then it took three years for me to find a place that is suitable for me to live in at a reasonable rate. Later on, I got mortgage from the credit union to pay back that loan. After that, I was given seven years to pay the mortgage. Within four and a half years, I had it paid back. Now I own the one-bed apartment in Navan.

Brian is my support person. He comes in and helps me a lot. He got me going to the bank and training in banking online. I can do that on my own now. He got me going to bingo, to Irish music and to the Navan Arch Club to play table tennis. The other thing is the park runs on Saturdays. He got me to do all that. He helps me with cooking, baking and how to keep the house clean. If I need help booking holidays, he supports me as well. I would like more people with intellectual disabilities to get out of these institutions and live a life of their own. I would like them to be able to pick their own supporter, where they want to live and who they want to live with. Then they need proper transport. The only transport we have in Navan is the buses because there are no trains. It takes two hours to get into work every day and two hours home.