Massive knock-on effect’ if Mayo Down Syndrome can’t provide services

THE new chairman of Mayo Down Syndrome has warned of ‘a massive knock-on effect’ if they are unable to provide basic services.

Knock native James Carty has called on parents of people with Down Syndrome to consider taking up the vacant positions of Secretary and Treasurer.

The positions were recently vacated by Deirdre O’Malley and Paula Murphy at the organisation’s recent AGM.

An EGM will now take place on July 4 in order to fill the positions.

Writing in an email, Mr Carty warned that the future of the branch was in ‘serious jeopardy’ if the positions were not filled.

Mayo Down Syndrome currently assists over 150 people living with Down Syndrome in accessing speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

It also organises activities and fun days for its members.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Mr Carty said the organisation would struggle to organise such activities and services without a serving treasurer or secretary.

“The way it works is whatever government funding there is goes to Down Syndrome Ireland, the top branch. Then we have to make applications to them to access money and it’s not always the easiest,” explained the Knock-based garda.

“With that in mind we do put on different fundraisers to raise money on a local initiative on the local branch. That then, the money we use to fundraise goes into paying for these services for our members, subsidising our members as best we can.

“If you can’t supply the services you’d be afraid of our members, falling back, for lack of a better way of saying it,” added Mr Carty, “that they wouldn’t have the access to the speech and language and that they wouldn’t have access to occupational therapy which would delay their ability to become more inclusive in society. That goes without saying.

“My greatest ambition is that my own daughter would be running around with everybody and her speech wouldn’t be affected. To have that in place we need all these therapies,” he continued.

“For every member and member’s family in it we need a fully functioning committee. There’s a possibility that we’d lose out on being able to supply these services for so many parents.

“Not having the events means that members miss out on the inclusive part and being part of the wider community.

“If one child might have a problem some other parent might have experienced it in the past and are able to pass on advice. There’s a massive knock-on effect if we’re not able to provide these services overall.”

Mr Carty, who is a son of the late Mayo TD John Carty, said that Mayo Down Syndrome has access to ‘limited’ funding from Down Syndrome Ireland and, therefore, does the bulk of its fundraising locally.

“If we have a fully functioning committee and have people to represent us and to go out and do the fundraising,” he said.

“It just means that we are able to raise more funds to put on these services for our members and to give them a better quality of life, to have them on a level footing as everybody else.”

The EGM of Mayo Down Syndrome will take place on July 4.

Anyone who cannot attend the meeting but is interested in joining their committee can email MayoChairperson@downsyndrome.ie.