By Sean Moriarty

A Woodlawn man, who is the father of a girl with severe disabilities in dire need of essential equipment, has raised huge concerns over cuts to the Housing Adaptation Grants.

Last month the Government announced that Kerry County Council is to receive €2.4 million in funding under the scheme.

The grant helps families of those with special needs including the elderly and those with disabilities.

Steve O’Mahony’s daughter Alexis (5) suffers from PDH deficiency and requires round-the-clock care.

However, ceiling track hoists - which will help the daily burden of lifting their growing daughter from her bed to the bath and aid with movement in the home - have been removed from the scheme.

He said last month’s announcement sounded great until the finer details were examined.

“The devil is in the detail,” Steve told the Killarney Advertiser.

He pointed out that he was not just speaking on behalf of his own family and their needs but was raising concerns for several Kerry families who could be affected by the new rules.

“Of course it all sounds rosy but some hidden details are missing,” he added.

“Essential ceiling track hoists have been removed as a qualifying item for mobility aids. Families like my own do not want these hoists out of choice, it is a basic necessity and everyday that this drags on is another day of physical stress through the constant moving, washing etc of someone with a disability. There also exists a daily danger of serious injury to both the patient and carers and support nurses which of course breaches multiple health and safety guidelines of which the HSE and their staff operate within themselves."

He said that in many situations "they are putting their own staff under unnecessary risk and breaching many health and safety standards because of this ongoing issue".

"My own wife currently attends a public physio on a weekly basis because of back issues which seems counter productive. The taxpayer is paying for her physio which would not have been needed if she had sufficient equipment for my daughter's needs!"

The issue was raised in the Dáil this week after Sinn Féin TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, met the O’Mahony family in Tralee recently.