Sweet Jesus, are we REALLY that strapped for cash?

RachaelVO · 10-10-2011 09:40AM #1

From yesterdays Sindo

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/little-sean-gets-just-four-nappies-a-day-because-of-cutbacks-2900595.html

A MOTHER has described how she has been ordered to limit her young son, who has special needs, to four nappies a day.

Four-year-old Sean, who has Down syndrome and autism, is facing a limited nappy supply because of cutbacks.

Up to the age of three, children with special needs are entitled to free nappies from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

However, due to recent measures, parents are being informed that their children with special needs, who are over the age of three, are only entitled to a limited supply.

Now Patricia May and her husband Peter, from Walkinstown, Dublin, have labelled the latest cutbacks as "inhumane" and are calling on the HSE to reverse the decision.

"We're talking about the most vulnerable people in society here. It's like something you'd hear about in an orphanage in Russia or Romania," she said.

Ms May explained: "On August 29 it was a month since we got any nappies so I rang the HSE to enquire about the problem.

"I was shocked with the response I got -- they asked me why I was using the nappies so quickly."

Ms May, who has three other children, Roisin, 8, Aidan, 3, and Liam, 1, said: "I've never once used the nappies for my younger children. I couldn't anyway -- the three-year-old is potty trained and the one-year-old is too small for them.

"But because Sean has some quite complex difficulties he still needs to wear the pull-up pants."

She continued: "I was told that a memorandum was circulated to HSE staff last month which said that each special needs child over the age of three is only entitled to four nappies a day.

"I explained that Sean also has been suffering from chronic thrush and on the paediatrician's advice we have to change them frequently.

"But their response was 'well why don't you just leave the nappies off him?'

"It's crazy. The medication that he's taking makes him have frequent dirty nappies. That's unhygienic for him and our other children.

"He's non-verbal so he can't tell us when he needs a nappy change. He can't tell us when he is in pain, let alone when he needs to go to the toilet.

"It's shameful the way he and other children like Sean are being treated. We feel that the HSE feels that our child is not worth more than four nappies a day.

"As Sean's mother I'm not taking that. It's a basic human right.

"Some pen pusher within the HSE has made a decision that they need to make cutbacks and the most vulnerable have been affected. It's not right.

"I feel like I'm begging for a couple of nappies for my child. Myself and Peter cried the other day. We were so upset by the way he is being treated."

The couple have contacted An Taoiseach Enda Kenny's office and Health Minister James Reilly's office and both have yet to respond.

- NIAMH HORAN

Have we really been dragged to such a level that a child with special needs is reduced to 4 nappies a day. FFS, is there no end to the nonsense that has to be endured so the bloody bond holders can be repaid? Jesus wept, I despair of the Irish Government and Civil Service! How the hell can we be paying back foreign investors at the expense of a few fecking nappies! :mad::mad::mad:

Plazaman · 10-10-2011 09:44AM

Can't afford them, Bertie keeps making too many phone calls and we have to pay for them first :mad:

harrythehat · 10-10-2011 09:48AM

That's horrific.

The most sickening aspect of this recession is watching the most vulnerable people in society suffer so that the fatcats can stay comfortable.

Gummy Panda · 10-10-2011 09:48AM

Thats a 120 nappies a month free from the HSE. Shouldn't the parent supply the rest?

jaykay74 · 10-10-2011 09:52AM

It's like something you'd hear about in an orphanage in Russia or Romania," she said.

I think thats overstating it slightly.

FetchTheGin · 10-10-2011 09:56AM

From yesterdays Sindo

Stopped reading after that.

Riamfada · 10-10-2011 09:56AM

That's alot of ****

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 10-10-2011 09:58AM

Are the parents working?

If they cannot afford nappies for their children, why did they have another child?

Take the 4 nappies and STFU. People are too entitled in this country.

"I have had children and I want the tax payer to look after them".

Oddjob · 10-10-2011 09:59AM

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Thats a 120 nappies a month free from the HSE. Shouldn't the parent supply the rest?

So you're saying she should be responsible for her own children? :eek:

seamus · 10-10-2011 10:00AM

This is why parents are paid child benefit. To buy essentials for their children. Like nappies. She also receives a specific payment for having a special needs child.

reprazant · 10-10-2011 10:00AM

She could always use reusable nappies if she wanted.

Also, why should the HSE have to supply the nappies? Why doesn't the parents? If they can't afford it, then use reusable ones. But it doesn't say that they can't afford it, it just has the parents complaining that the HSE is only giving them 4 a day.

DrumSteve · 10-10-2011 10:04AM

To be fair, how do we know that both parents are not unemployed? Lot of cynicism going on here and I'd rather pay for a few extra nappies for a kid with Downs that to fly some politician to a pub opening.

Lando Griffin · 10-10-2011 10:04AM

A quick google on the subject and ......

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981026b.cfm

Supplies Needed:
Several pairs of your child's underwear. Use older pairs, and use them exclusively for this purpose.
Sponges. These are ordinary household sponges from any discount store. I use a 3"x5" size.
Large to extra-large plastic pants that go over cloth diapers.Rummage sales are a good source for these. They are also available at discount stores.
1/4" wide elastic, 10" long for each pair of underwear. (only needed for girls) vinegar

For Forks Sake · 10-10-2011 10:05AM

FetchTheGin wrote: »

Stopped reading after that.

I went to the end and saw Niamh Norans name attached to the article.

Then I was 100% certain it was lies.

abouttobebanned · 10-10-2011 10:08AM

Sensationalism at its best.

As a country, one of our biggest problems is that we swallow what the media wants us to. And we bend over for the government at every available opportunity.

Look at us all now...up in arms about the most irrelevant election in the country's history. We obsess too much about people who are in more privileged positions than ourselves.

The average Jo and josephene in this country worries too much about who lois sends home from the x-factor instead of why our country is in its knees.

goose2005 · 10-10-2011 10:11AM

Up to the age of three, children with special needs are entitled to free nappies from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Why? It's not like healthy, intelligent 2-year-olds don't **** themselves constantly.

I feel like I'm begging for a couple of nappies for my child.

I wonder why?

Three other kids she has as well. But I suppose swallowing someone's dubious hard-luck story hook, line and sinker is easier than doing actual journalism on poverty and deprivation in Ireland.

10-10-2011 10:11AM

I have often been utterly amazed at the responses on Boards but today,:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Have I read it correctly, this is a woman with a severly handicapted son who is not toilet trained at 4 ( and possibley might never be ) and people come on here and complain about the woman and ask her to buy her own nappies for a child ( not a baby ) who need constant changing, have any of you any even vague comprehension of what it life is like for a parent with a child like that.

She is too entitled!!!!!! because she want nappies for her son words, works fail me.

twowheelsonly · 10-10-2011 10:11AM

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Thats a 120 nappies a month free from the HSE. Shouldn't the parent supply the rest?

That's not an awful lot for a special needs child that obviously needs more. At the moment it works out at one every 6 hours. IMO they should be getting probably double that judging by that article.
The child is 4 years of age so should be out of nappies long ago. Adult nappies are expensive and with 3 other children as well as the special needs child I'm sure that they have more than enough expenses already and would prefer that they never needed them in the first place.
There's enough people out there scamming the system at all levels but once again it's those legitimately in need that get hit with ridiculous cutbacks like this.

jaykay74 · 10-10-2011 10:15AM

twowheelsonly wrote: »

That's not an awful lot for a special needs child that obviously needs more. At the moment it works out at one every 6 hours. IMO they should be getting probably double that judging by that article.
The child is 4 years of age so should be out of nappies long ago. Adult nappies are expensive and with 3 other children as well as the special needs child I'm sure that they have more than enough expenses already and would prefer that they never needed them in the first place.
There's enough people out there scamming the system at all levels but once again it's those legitimately in need that get hit with ridiculous cutbacks like this.

Why would a 4 year old need adult nappies

Oddjob · 10-10-2011 10:17AM

mariaalice wrote: »

I have often been utterly amazed at the responses on Boards but today,:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Have I read it correctly, this is a woman with a severly handicapted son who is not toilet trained at 4 ( and possibley might never be ) and people come on here and complain about the woman and ask her to buy her own nappies for a child ( not a baby ) who need constant changing, have any of you any even vague comprehension of what it life is like for someone in the woman with a child like that.

She is too entitled!!!!!! because she want nappies for her son words, works fail me.

No, we have no idea because the article omits the parent's situation. Are they unemployed? Are they both brain surgeons? Have they won the lotto 4 times in the last year?

Though, I'm sure if they were unemployed, that would have been mentioned in the article.

Most vulnerable in society blah blah....

10-10-2011 10:18AM

jaykay74 wrote: »

twowheelsonly wrote: »

That's not an awful lot for a special needs child that obviously needs more. At the moment it works out at one every 6 hours. IMO they should be getting probably double that judging by that article.
The child is 4 years of age so should be out of nappies long ago. Adult nappies are expensive and with 3 other children as well as the special needs child I'm sure that they have more than enough expenses already and would prefer that they never needed them in the first place.
There's enough people out there scamming the system at all levels but once again it's those legitimately in need that get hit with ridiculous cutbacks like this.

Why would a 4 year old need adult nappies

Because you don't know how big this child is. I would assume that normal nappies won't fit a child of 4.

twowheelsonly · 10-10-2011 10:19AM

jaykay74 wrote: »

Why would a 4 year old need adult nappies

Apologies.. probably not in adult nappies yet..

However, the child would be in a larger nappy than normal at that age and they're still bloody expensive!!!

dearg lady · 10-10-2011 10:20AM

twowheelsonly wrote: »

That's not an awful lot for a special needs child that obviously needs more. At the moment it works out at one every 6 hours. IMO they should be getting probably double that judging by that article.
The child is 4 years of age so should be out of nappies long ago. Adult nappies are expensive and with 3 other children as well as the special needs child I'm sure that they have more than enough expenses already and would prefer that they never needed them in the first place.
There's enough people out there scamming the system at all levels but once again it's those legitimately in need that get hit with ridiculous cutbacks like this.

If you are correct, and they would need twice that, I still think the State providing half of those is quite generous.
I have a lot of sympathy for the family, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult at times it is to have a spcial needs child to look after, but the government simply can't provide everything.

Lollipops23 · 10-10-2011 10:22AM

I think 120 nappies a month is pretty fair, it's fairly heavily subsidising some of the many many things a child with special needs requires.

I do get annoyed when I think of the things the country spends money on, but I don't think this is the worst result of cutbacks by any stretch of the imagination. I'd be up in arms if they took away the contributions altogether.

OneArt · 10-10-2011 10:24AM

Eh, there are such things cloth nappies which can be reused. Most people in South Africa used them when I was growing up.

jaykay74 · 10-10-2011 10:25AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Because you don't know how big this child is. I would assume that normal nappies won't fit a child of 4.

Generally they will. They fit my 5 year old (bed wetter

).

10-10-2011 10:25AM

What has the parents situation as regards work got to do with it?

I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people are neoliberial when they are on boards and when it dose not affect their children or parents, but it would be a different story if it affected them personally,' everyone else is a sponger and too entitled' except me and my family.

Maybe I expect too much from human nature.

sensibleken · 10-10-2011 10:26AM

RachaelVO wrote: »

From yesterdays Sindo

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/little-sean-gets-just-four-nappies-a-day-because-of-cutbacks-2900595.html

Have we really been dragged to such a level that a child with special needs is reduced to 4 nappies a day. FFS, is there no end to the nonsense that has to be endured so the bloody bond holders can be repaid? Jesus wept, I despair of the Irish Government and Civil Service! How the hell can we be paying back foreign investors at the expense of a few fecking nappies! :mad::mad::mad:

because were getting screwed but protesting is for hippies and crusties aparantely...oh and dole scroungers. so we better just shut up about it and keep taking it

phasers · 10-10-2011 10:28AM

She should buy those nasty reusable ones if she's so desperate

dearg lady · 10-10-2011 10:35AM

OneArt wrote: »

Eh, there are such things cloth nappies which can be reused. Most people in South Africa used them when I was growing up.

This is an excellent point actually. My parents used them for us, and anyone I know who's a bit short on cash uses them. Why not indeed.

Lando Griffin · 10-10-2011 10:35AM

phasers wrote: »

She should buy those nasty reusable ones if she's so desperate

Free = 0.
Buy > 0.

Sweet Jesus, are we REALLY that strapped for cash?

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