Main pic: DCITS service users at a briefing meeting with Deputy Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher. Back L-R: Ayla Friel HSE, Chris O’Donnell, Kieran Bonner, Ann Quinn, Keelan Mooney, JP Gallagher, Pat the Cope Gallagher, Marian Gallagher, Liam Wheldon, Brendan Hone HSE, Tracey Murphy. Front row L-R: Maura Byrne, Stephen Dowds, Geraline McGarvey, Frances Toland.
Donegal Community Inclusion Training Service (DCITS) users have made a stand against what they described as an unjust €4 daily charge.
DCITS is a HSE service for adults with an intellectual disability.
Over the last few years, DCITS service users have set up advocacy groups across the county to raise issues of importance to them about their services, and communities.
In July 2022, they raised the fact that while they all have Free Bus Passes, some of them not on public transport routes, or because of their vulnerability, have had to pay €4 a day to travel into their service.
“This charged transport is arranged between the HSE and SITT and is known as a ‘closed transport’ as the general public cannot travel on it, and it is specifically for the DCITS Service Users. Thus commenced their Transport Cost Campaign,” a DCITS spokesperson said.
The charge of €4 daily comes out of the service users sole income, (Disability Allowance) and was introduced into the CHO1 area (Donegal/Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan/Monaghan) only, and not applicable in the other CHO areas across the country.
Some of the main issues for the Service Users were that:
- Donegal is a very rural county with poor public transport, no trains and a large geographic spread so those not on public transport routes have no option but to pay or else not receive their service.
- The rural geographic spread in the county already disadvantages people from Donegal, and if you happen to be a person with disabilities, you are further disadvantaged in accessing services, such as provided by DCITS without incurring a charge.
“The charge is seen by many as a barrier to receiving their service and discriminatory,” the spokesperson added.
Since July 2022, the Advocacy groups have met and corresponded with the DCITS management, HSE senior management and had occasion in Nov 2023 met with Minister Ann Rabbitte when she visited their Hub in Letterkenny.
“Through their hard work and persistence, the Minister finally wrote (20/11/2024) to Pat the Cope Gallagher, who had been supporting the Advocacy Group’s campaign, that she had secured the necessary €500,000 funding for the HSE to cover this transport cost,” the DCITS spokesperson confirmed.
“With the recent election and change in ministerial roles at government level, the Service Users are keen not to lose momentum and decided to stop paying the €4 daily charge since 13th January.”
“In stopping the payment, the Service Users are clearly signalling they have fought too hard and too long for this funding and aren’t prepared to wait for it to be transferred to the HSE.”
It is also their belief that the HSE will make ‘more strenuous efforts’ to receive the
€500,000 when they are ‘incentivised’ by the service users ceasing the payment.
“The Service Users are rightly proud of their achievements on this campaign and look forward to continuing to bring change to their services and communities and creating more good trouble.”
