Robert O'Donoghue

Overall sentiment: 0.21
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I thank Deputy Quaide and the Social Democrats for bringing forward this important motion. I also want to acknowledge the Before We Die campaign in my own constituency of Dublin Fingal West and the Remember Us group from Balbriggan, which continues to campaign with such determination. I have met families in my constituency and listened to their very personal stories and I thank them for sharing them. Those conversations have stayed with me. I have heard the fear and anxiety of parents in their 70s and 80s who have spent their entire lives caring for their sons or daughters and now ask one heartbreaking question, "What will happen to my child when I’m gone?" These families have spent years navigating services that are fragmented and under pressure while housing supports remain inadequate. Families have also raised concerns about the growing reliance on private, for-profit residential services. They want something different. They want their sons and daughters to live as independently as possible in their own communities with choice, dignity and personal autonomy at the heart of every decision. Ireland has committed to the principles of the UNCRPD, including the right to independent living and community inclusion, but there remains a gap between those commitments and the lived reality of too many families. That is why I want to recognise the Remember Us campaign regarding its Homes for Us pilot proposal. It offers a community-based model where people have their own homes, the supports they need and the opportunity to remain close to family and the communities where they belong. This is not simply about housing. It is about dignity, security and giving families the peace of mind that their loved ones will have a place to call home. I urge the Minister to help Remember Us to fund this pilot and to roll it out in communities across Ireland.

Sentiment score: 0.21