Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)

For 18 years, before being elected as a TD for Carlow and Kilkenny, I worked as a carer for people with disabilities, supporting them to live their fullest lives possible. The people I worked for are the salt of the earth. As many of us know, working as a carer is so much more than just a job. We grow incredibly close to those we care for. That is why it has pained me so much to watch those with disabilities and those who support and care for them being continually let down by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. From the cradle to the grave, they are being failed. Children requiring an assessment of need are left waiting for years to be seen. Parents are forced to watch as their children suffer, denied the correct supports at schools. They are left watching as their whole family bears the mental and emotional strain. What will this Government say in ten or 15 years' time to children who are failed on its watch? What became painfully clear to me as someone working with people with disabilities is that this Government does not plan for these people to grow old. The Government does not plan adequate care for people with disabilities as they age into their 50s, 60s and 70s. It does not plan for who will care for these people when their ageing parents pass on. There is no plan for how to ensure that these parents and caregivers get significant respite. That is the hallmark of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government - little to no long-term planning. Let us be clear: this lies squarely with the Government. Issues will not be sorted if people on the Government benches continue to sit on their hands.

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