Time for change!

Do you remember the famous expression; “We’ve got to get more from less?” The hard thing about managing on less is that it forces choices on everyone. The logic of the more from less credo is about making a little go a really long way, indeed much further than you’d have thought it could go in normal times.

Those were not normal times.  One of the motions that was passed at Wexford Borough Council concerned home adaption grants.  Effectively the list couldn’t progress as the money had been used up unless there was a real life or death case.

It was grist to the political mill and some councillors and local election candidates highlighted the lack of money although rarely pointed out why there was no money and of course didn’t point out where the replacement funds could be sourced.  Any proposed tax increase was fought tooth and nail.

Now of course that the home adaptation grants are being properly funded by Labour’s Alan Kelly, there’s not a word out of those who made the loud protests on behalf of the most vulnerable.  The good news for those that need their houses altered to help them cope with their disability is that there’s over €50M available for them and of that Wexford gets €1.5M.

It can only be good and while it can never make good any disability it makes homes more liveable in.   Because when councillors said that spending less on home adaptions made disabled more dependent on family, friends and state services, they were right and nobody denied that.  Now that more cash is being targeted early on in the recovery, maybe, just maybe some of councillors that complained a few years might just say to Alan Kelly and Brendan Howlin well done on finding the resources for this.