The lack of respite care for children and adults with additional needs in County Monaghan has made it onto RTÉ's Prime Time programme. Tánaiste Micheál Martin was on the panel with lawyer Maria Steen to give opposing opinions on the upcoming so-called care and family referenda.
Maria Steen is encouraging a No/No vote while, the Tá¡naiste is urging people to vote yes/yes on both issues. When debating the care referendum, retired barrister Maria Steen accused the government of wasting €23m on calling referenda, which may create positive PR but, will change nothing for Irish carers.
Ms Steen said the money spent on the referenda could've been spent on providing a respite centre in Monaghan: "I'm with Senator Tom Clonan and FLAC (Free legal Advice Centres)and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties on this," Ms Steen said on Prime Time, "Tom Clonan has called this a 'slap in the face for carers and people with disabilities' and I agree with him. The government has chosen to spend 23m on this referendum; they could've built a respite centre in Monaghan for children and their parents that have no service there but, instead they've chosen to spend it on a political virtue-signaling exercise that will allow them to take videos and post them from Dublin Castle on X and Tik Tok to celebrate if this goes through but, the following day the carers will still have no respite."
