Teacher and carer resources must be used effectively and Government held accountable – Mitchell

Fine Gael Presidential candidate, Gay Mitchell MEP, has said that if elected President, he will hold the Government accountable to ensure that carer and teacher resources are used effectively and are not wasted. He was speaking yesterday (Monday) at the Inclusion Ireland event in the Mansion House, Dublin.

“My eldest sister has a disability, both physical and mental, and it was always a great worry to my parents about what would happen to her in later life. We didn’t know back then that much more could be done, we accepted what was available to us. Today, we are in a much better position in terms of carers and teachers, but our Parliament is failing us dismally on this issue.

“The Dáil and Seanad must be brought to the cutting edge of accountability. The Government collects money from the tax payer and we entrust that it is used to provide resources such as teachers and carers. We all know that these resources are limited, so we must ensure that what we have is used effectively and that resources that are being wasted elsewhere be channelled into the area of disability.

“If elected President, I will pursue this and make Parliament hold Government to account. People keep saying the President’s office is not a political office. It is not a party political office, but the President is part of the national parliament. Our President can encourage the more effective use of our resources in a way that makes a real change and that really is inclusive. Whoever occupies the office of President must have the experience from day one to know what to do.”