A group of charities is urging the government to restore funding for social services in next weekÂ’s budget.

Six groups representing 1,700 charities are asking the coalition to set aside 1 billion euro for the sector - rather than spend it on tax cuts and capital projects.

Juliette Gash reports;
 

Case Study;

Michelle is a caregiver for her husband Dirk who has Huntington's Disease. He was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder six years ago. Dirk is just 53.

Huntington's Disease (or HD) is a devastating life-limiting genetic brain disorder which affects the body and mind. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 30 and 50. Each child of a parent with HD has a 50% chance of inheriting the condition.

Michelle and Dirk have two children and live in North Dublin. The last time they were able to avail of respite care for Dirk was November 2014.

Michelle describes caring for her husband:

"He has cognitive impairment, similar to Alzheimer's and... balance issues similar to Parkinson's Disease. He can't take care of himself. I prompt him to wash, to change his clothes. I help him tie his shoelaces and button his shirt because he can no longer do for himself. He can't be left on his own, he has no concept of danger, or time. In lot of ways he's like a child."

Her message to Government ahead of the Budget:

"I'd like to see some money go into the Disability Sector." "In particular for people under 65 with serious illness."

"We have three hours of help a week. It's simply not enough. I have grocery shopping, or parent-teacher meetings. There's no budget for that, no budget for respite."