Hundreds of families of people with intellectual disabilities protested against cuts in services outside Leinster House today.
They handed over a letter to the Taoiseach demanding the publication of a rights based disability bill before the summer recess.
They have also written to government ministers to highlight the effects on their lives of the drastic cuts in services because of goverment underfunding.
In the letter they asked the Taoiseach to show them the money and said 'if you do not make a difference soon, then shame on you.'
From early morning, convoys of parents and friends converged on the capital from the south, west and midlands. They were joined outside Leinster House by hundreds more from the greater Dublin region.
One of the organisers, the National Association of the Mentally Handicapped, said many more families had sent messages explaining that they could not participate because they could not get respite care for their disabled offspring.
NAHMI General Secretary Deirdre Carroll said, 'at a time when people with intellectual disability and their families are experiencing drastic cuts in services, legislation which guarantees people a basic level of service is needed more than ever.'
She said her organisation was hearing daily from families who have had their respite care cut, and who have been informed that their children of school-leaving age will have no further service or training as of September.
She also highlighted what she called the intolerable conditions in psychiatric hospitals and other large institutions. The protestors plan to hand a letter of protest to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tánaiste Mary Harney.
The Dublin North-Central Independent TD, Finian McGrath, whose daughter has a disability, has challenged the Government to discuss discrimination against the disabled when ministers meet Nelson Mandela at the opening of the Special Olympics.
