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After The Olympics

The Special Olympics, the largest scale sporting event in the world this year, came to Ireland this week. This is, without doubt, a great honour for Ireland and the greatest spectacle we have ever staged on Irish soil. For years now, work has been going on behind the scenes to ensure that the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer games will be truly memorable. Local communities have strived tirelessly to help the Host Town programme succeed and flourish.

I had the privilege of playing my small part as a volunteer when the Danish team arrived in my home town of Clonakilty. They were a truly smashing crew, who were full of fun and quick to make friends. It was an opportunity for us to get to know people from a different country and to see how much people with learning disabilities could achieve. At the time of writing, the games have just got underway, and I would like to wish the Danish team good luck or, as they would say, held og lukka!

All in all, the Special Olympics arriving on our shores has brought out the best in people, and has shown the depth of community spirit in this fine island of ours and once again demonstrated Irish hospitality. However, like all big occasions, they can be used as a cynical PR exercise to cover up problems long ignored in society. One aspect of the opening ceremony that I found very hard to swallow was when Patrick Kielty introduced the man who made it all possible- who apparently was An Taoiseach. The usual back patting speech followed. Of course as our leader, it would be inconceivable that Bertie Ahern not play a role at the ceremony, but that does not serve to lessen the irony. The government was quick to engage in breast beating about the great occasion that was the Special Olympics. Government Ministers gladly posed with members of Team Ireland, who were excited to be meeting such important people. This exercise in Public Relations was a poor attempt to cover up the shocking record of successive governments in relation to disability. While the powers that be soaked up the limelight flowing from the staging of this wonderful event, funding for people with disabilities was being dramatically cut.

In my locality, one group that helps children with learning disabilities has seen its operations seriously downsized, simply because funds are not there. The economic downturn made it inevitable that spending had to be reduced, so, being the sensible bunch that they are, the government decided to take the money from those who need it most. With what limited involvement I have had with children with disabilities, I have developed an undying respect for the parents of children faced with such rehabilitating obstacles. As a young college student, as of yet devoid of serious responsibilities, my mind boggles when I think how parents keep going despite all the difficulties and hardships of raising a child with learning or physical disabilities.

I think the answer is simply love.

Parents have an instinctive love for their children, any children. When the burden of serious mental or physical disabilities is thrown into the mix, the sense of love and willingness to protect is enhanced further still. For parents, organisations such as Enable Ireland provide invaluable services, which allow them to take some time out to work and pursue a normal life. However as in the case of a Dublin couple on the news recently, these services are now being discontinued and the only alternative is to stay home and 24 hours care day for their child. To do so would result in a loss of earning power necessary to support the child in the first place. Not to mention seriously restrict parents in terms of their own personal space. At the end of the day, we all need a bit of a break to just stay sane.

Day in, day out, more services are being cut to facilitate the agenda of the present coalition. Multi- millionaire businessmen need not worry- when you are in need all the stops will be pulled out. It is only if you are weak and vulnerable in Irish society that you will have money taken from you. I hope people will enjoy the Special Olympics. It is a wonderful occasion for Ireland, and we have a right to be proud.

But to those implementing the current cutbacks in services for children and adults with learning disabilities, I want you to do one thing. Look at the Special Olympics, watch as the Irish athletes proudly collect their medals, watch the expression of sheer jubilation on those athletes' faces and ask yourself, is what I'm doing going to stop this person from going to school or work tomorrow?

by

Donal O'Driscoll
23rd June 2003

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